UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 
LIBRARY 


Class 


Volume 


Ja  09-20  M 


Return 

Latest 


)OK  on  or  before  the 
stamped  below. 


ersity  of  Illinois 


D.  C.  Ireland  6c  Co  , no  Front  St,  Portland,  Or. 


UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 
LIBRARY 


Class 

^VT^<=> 


Volume 


Ja  09-20  M 


3 # 


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For  the  Use  and  Information  of  Immigrants. 


Issued  hy  the  Oregon  Immigration  Board. 


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D.  C.  Ireland  8c.  Co  , no  Front  St,  Portland,  Or. 


t 

' t ' 1 * • 


INTRODUCTION. 


It  is  a matter  of  the  most  vital  interest  to  the  thousands  of  people  who 
are  coming  to  this  country,  to  be  put  into  possession  of  accurate  and 
trustworthy  information  regarding  it.  That  is  the  purpose  of  these 
printed  pages.  This  publication  is  issued  under  the  authority  of  the 
Immigration  Board  of  Oregon. 

At  the  rooms  of  the  Board  in  Portland  the  Immigrant  will  meet  with 
a cordial  welcome  from  the  Secretary,  who  will  give  information  about 
farms  and  lands  for  sale  by  private  parties,  or  open  to  settlement,  and  in 
relation  to  the  country  generally,  free  of  charge. 

At  these  headquarters  the  Immigrant  will  find  a free  reading  room, 
where  newspapers,  maps,  scrap-books,  and  records  of  farms  and  other 
lands,  are  always  open  to  inspection  of  new-comers. 

Adjoining  this  office  is  a room  for  the  temporary  deposit  of  small  bag- 
gage and  parcels  belonging  to  Immigrants. 

When  you  arrive  in  Portland  make  these  rooms  your  headquarters. 

OH  AS.  H.  DODD,  Chairman. 

0.  B.  CARLISLE,  Secretary. 


0 \ 3> 


Falls  of  the  Willamette , at  Oregon  City. 


Oregon  As  It  Is. 


As  an  agricultural  region  of  country,  offering  rare  inducements,  and 
as  a field  for  industrial  and  financial  operations  of  all  kinds,  Oregon 
has,  of  late,  come  so  largely  into  the  perception  or  view  of  those  who, 
out  of  the  overcrowded  elsewhere,  are  seeking  new  homes,  that  an  in- 
tense and  an  almost  universal  desire  to  obtain  accurate  and  trustworthy 
information  in  relation  to  the  State  has  been  awakened.  This  is  shown 
in  the  thousands  of  letters  of  inquiry  directed  to  persons,  officials,  and 
corporations,  in  all  parts  of  the  State.  The  object  of  this  publication  is 
to  supply  just  this  information — information  that  shall  be  full,  right  to 
the  point,  practical — that  may  be  depended  upon — taken  upon  the  read- 
ing. There  is  nothing  expedient  or  honest  in  over-wrought  or  highly- 
colored  and  rhethorically-embellished  statements  regarding  this  State  as 
an  immigration  field.  Oregon  has  nothing  to  lose,  but  all  to  gain,  by  a close 
and  .thorough  investigation  of  all  her  offerings.  Within  the  immense 
area  of  about  96,000  square  miles,  all  desirability  is  held;  nearly  every 
interest  is  embraced;  the  agricultural  factor  is  almost  limitless,  and  for 
the  investment  of  capital,  and  pluck,  and  energy,  the  field  in  Oregon  is 
golden  with  opportunity.  No  country  in  the  world  offers  greater  in- 
ducements to  farmers  than  Oregon.  She  has  an  immense  area  of  most 
fertile  lands,  easily  reached  by  rail  or  water,  and  a system  of  transporta- 
tion throughout  the  interior,  affording  ample  facilities  for  sending  pro- 
ductions to  market.  Improved  farms,  as  will  be  seen  elsewhere  in  this 
pamphlet,  can  be  purchased  at  prices  which,  to  the  Eastern  farmer,  must 
seem  very  reasonable.  On  these  farms  the  immigrant  will  find  himself 
in  a well-peopled  neighborhood,  and  within  easy  reach  of  all  the  com- 
forts, conveniences,  if  not  elegancies,  of  the  most  refined  civilization. 

THE  STATE  AS  A WHOLE. 

Having  a Pacific  Ocean  coast  line  of  about  300  miles  as  its  western 
boundary,  a width  of  350  miles  from  east  to  west,  275  miles  in  extent 
from  north  to  south,  Oregon  embraces  an  area  of  60,000,000  acres  of 
land.  It  is  a vast  domain  crowded  with  bountiful  resources  that  an  em- 
pire might  well  covet.  It  is  a land  of  wonderful  resources,  for  her  val- 
leys, both  in  extent  and  productiveness,  are  unmatched  anywhere  on 
the  globe;  her  hill  and  mountain  sides  bear  millions  of  acres  of  splendid 
timber;  many  of  her  hills  are  ribbed  with  the  precious  metals  and  valu- 
able ores;  the  climate  never  made  an  honest  enemy;  her  stock  interests 
are  almost  beyond  competition;  her  cereals  are  famous  the  world  over; 
her  fruit  unparalleled  for  size  or  flavor;  her  markets  and  transportation 
among  the  best;  her  commerce  compares  more  than  favorably  with  that 


4 


OREGON  AS  IT  IS. 


of  most  of  the  older  States;  her  industrial  and ‘manufacturing  features 
already  great  and  rapidly  augmenting;  her  shipping  is  among  the  first 
in  the  countiy,  she  has  an  educational  and  school  interest  of  which  any 
of  oui  States  might  well  boast-;  her  cities  and  towns,  great  and  small, 
are  glowing,  thrifty,  busy  communities;  she  has  a dominant  church  in- 
terest and  a social  status  that  is  in  all  its  phases  the  equal  of  that  of  any 
of  the  refined  and  cultured  communities  in  our  common  country. 
Briefly  outlined,  that  is  Oregon  as  a whole.  Putting  these  features  to- 
gether they  constitute  a rosary  of  inviting  and  potent  inducements  to  the 
intending  immigrant,  whether  he  comes  from  the  overcrowded  and  un- 
piofitable  districts  of  our  Southern,  Eastern  or  Western  States. 


KAILROAm 

To  reach  this  land  of  promise,  immediate  and  impending  is,  at  this 
time,  an  easy  matter.  Few  portions  of  the  common  country  are  more 
accessible,  either  by  rail  or  water.  Two  transcontinental  lines — the 
Union  Pacific  and  Oregon  Short  Line,  and  the  Northern  Pacific,— bring 
the  traveler  to  our  commercial  metropolis,  and,  during  1885,  perhaps,  a 
third  line  from  California  will  be  completed.  A regular  line  of  steam- 
ships run  semi-weekly  between  San  Francisco  and  Portland.  Once  in 
Portland,  the  immigrant  will  find  rail  and  river  communication  with  all 
parts  of  the  State  and  the  Pacific  Northwest.  A dozen  lines  of  travel 
radiate  from  Portland  to  all  portions  of  the  State,  and  the  traveler  will 
find  journeying  rapid  and  comparatively  inexpensive.  The  Oregon 
Short  Line  is  the  connecting  link  between  the  Oregon  Railway  and  Nav- 
igation Company’s  lines  and  those  of  the  Union  Pacific  system.  The 
Oregon  Railway  and  Navigation  Company,  the  Oregon  Short  Line  and 
the  Union  Pacific  form  the  new  through  broad-gauge  line,  with  through 
cars,  and  affords  the  immigrant  a splendid  opportunity  of  seeing  the 
Southern  Idaho  country  and  that  portion  of  Oregon  lying  east  of  the 
Cascades.  Emigrant  sleepers,  with  free  berths,  are  hauled  the  entire 
length  of  the  Oregon  Short  Line  and  Northern  Pacific,  on  first-class 
passenger  trains. 

Appended  are  the  routes  of  travel  which  now  radiate  from  Portland, 
with  the  mileage  in  operation : 

upper  Columbia  route.  Miles. 

From  Portland  to  The  Dalles,  by  the  Oregon  Railway  and  Naviga- 
tion Company’s  steamboats 110 

From  Portland  to  Bolles’  Junction,  by  the  Oregon  Railway  and  1 

Navigation  Company’s  Railway 270 

From  Bolles’  Junction  to  Dayton,  by  the  Oregon  Railway  and  Nav- 
igation Company’s  Railway - 13 

from  Bolles’  Junction  to  Riparia,  on  the  Snake  River,  by  the  Ore- 
gon Railway  and  Navigation  Company’s  Railway 31 


OREGON  AS  IT  IS. 


5 


From  Walla  Walla  to  Pendleton,  via  Oregon  Railway  and  Naviga- 
tion Company’s  Railway 40 

From  Riparia  to  Lewiston,  on  Snake  River,  by  tlie  Oregon  Railway 

and  Navigation  Company’s  steamboats 78 

From  Umatilla  to  Pendleton,  by  the  Oregon  Railway  and  Naviga- 
tion Company’s  Railway 148 

From  Umatilla  to  Huntington,  by  the  Oregon  Short  Line 217 

From  Wallula  Junction  to  St.  Paul  and  Duluth,  Minn.,  by  the 

Northern  Pacific  Railroad. 1959 

From  Palouse  Junction,  on  the  main  line  of  the  Northern  Pacific 

Railroad,  to  Colfax 88 

From  Portland  to  Umatilla  and  Baker  City  and  Huntington,  via 
O.  R.  & N.  Railway  and  Oregon  Short  Line 404 

WILLAMETTE  VALLEY  ROUTES. 

From  Portland  to  Ashland,  by  the  Oregon  & California  Railroad. . 341 

From  Albany  to  Lebanon,  by  the  Oregon  & California  Railroad 15 

From  Portland  to  Corvallis,  by  the  Oregon  & California  Railroad. . 97 

From  Portland  to  Coburg,  by  the  u arrow-gauge  division  of  the  Or- 
egon Railway  & Navigation  Company 120 

From  Portland  to  Airlie,  by  the  narrow-guage  division  of  the  Or- 
egon Railway  and  Navigation  Company 37 

From. Airlie  to  Sheridan,  branch  of  last  named  road. 7 

From  Portland  to  Dayton,  Or.,  by  Oregon  Railway  and  Navigation 

Company’s  steamboats 45 

From  Portland  to  Corvallis,  by  Oregon  Railway  and  Navigation 
Company’s  steamboats 115 

LOWER  COLUMBIA  ROUTE. 

From  Portland  to  Astoria,  by  Oregon  Railway  and  Navigation  Com- 
pany’s steamboats 98 

PUGET  SOUND  ROUTE. 

From  Portland  to  Kalama,  by  Oregon  Railway  and  Navigation 

Company’s  steamboats 38 

From  Portland  to  Tacoma,  by  Northern  Pacific  Railroad  (Pacific 
Division) 147 


WATERWAYS. 

The  Columbia  ranks  with  the  great  rivers  of  the  world.  It  forms  the 
northern  boundary  of  the  State,  and,  for  a distance  of  more  than  200 
miles,  is  a means  of  travel  and  transportation,  and  almost  uninterrupt- 
edly so.  Upon  its  bosom  ships  and  steamers  navigate  at  all  seasons, 
transporting  the  products  of  the  State  to  foreign  climes  or  domestic 
ports.  It  is  an  avenue  of  wealth  and  wonder;  Oregon’s  highway  to  the 
sea,  and  the  artery  of  her  commercial  relations  with  the  vast  domain  to 
the  north.  The  Willamette,  the  largest  affluent  of  the  Columbia,  flows 
through  the  heart  of  the  valley  of  the  same  name,  and  is  navigable  for 
steamers  through  the  grain-producing  regions  of  that  locality.  The  largest 
steamships  and  other  ocean-going  vessels  ascend  it  to  Portland.  Snake 
River,  another  navigable  stream,  and  one  of  the  largest  tributaries  of 
the  Columbia,  forms  the  eastern  boundary  of  Oregon,  and  separates  it 
from  the  Territory  of  Idaho.  Steamers  ascend  it  to  Lewiston,  a distance 


6 


OREGON  AS  IT  IS. 


of  150  miles  from  its  confluence  with  the  Columbia.  The  Cowlitz  is  a 
tributary  of  the  Columbia.  This  river  flows  in  the  midst  of  a splendid 
country,  and  is  navigable  for  thirty-five  miles.  Along  the  coast,  and 
emptying  their  waters  into  the  ocean,  are  the  Rogue,  Coquille,  Umpqua, 
Siuslaw  and  other  smaller  streams.  In  the  eastern  part  of  the  State  we 
have  the  Umatilla,  the  Des  Chutes,  John  Day  and  many  other  smaller 
streams. 

CLIMATE. 

Among  the  advantages  of  a civilized  condition  of  society  there  can  be 
no  more  powerful  factor  for  progress  and  for  individual  comfort  and 
happiness  than  a genial  climate.  That  is  claimed  for  this  State.  The 
State,  as  a whole,  has  nothing  to  lose  and  much  to  gain  by  a careful  and 
intelligent  examination  of  the  meteorological  conditions  and  a compari- 
son with  the  most  favored  habitable  sections  of  the  common  country. 
The  climate  of  Oregon  is  signally  healthful  and  invigorating.  The  strong 
point  is  its  evenness.  The  mean  average  heat  of  July  is  67  degrees.  The 
mean  average  cold  of  January  is  46  degrees;  showing  a mean  deviation 
of  only  21  degrees  during  the  year.  This  compares  favorably  with  the 
best  climates  in  the  United  States.  The  violent  atmospheric  changes,  or 
wide  variations  of  temperature,  so  common  in  the  Middle,  Southern  and 
Western  States,  are  wholly  unknown  here.  The  summer  is  never  made 
suddenly  and  abnormally  cold — a reversal  of  the  season — nor  suddenly 
and  abnormally  hot.  The  extreme  cold  in  the  valleys,  during  ordinary 
years,  is,  for  the  most  part,  a white  frost,  with  a formation  of  ice  an  inch 
thick  in  exposed  places.  No  matter  how  warm  the  days  may  be  the 
nights  are  always  cool  enough  to  enable  one  to  sleep  soundly  and 
refreshingly  under  a fair  quantity  of  bed  clothing.  There  is  never  the 
heat  that  enervates  nor  the  cold  that  produces  a torpor  or  inability  to 
work.  The  air  offers  the  tonic  coolness  needed  by  a man  engaged  in 
outdoor  industry,  while  it  has  the  mildness  that  is  sootliiug  and  restful 
for  his  periods  of  relaxation.  There  is  in  the  air  that  steady  tone  which 
is  in  itself  an  inspiration,  and  inviting  to  labor  on  the  part  of  man  and 
beast.  Medium-weight  woolen  underwear  is  universally  worn  during 
the  entire  year.  Sunstrokes  are  unknown.  Meat  may  be  cured  and  fruit 
dried  in  the  sun,  and  the  good  house-wife  has  no  worry  about  moisture 
on  her  windows  or  plastered  walls. 

Nature  has  struck  a happy  medium  between  the  climate  of  California, 
with  its  alternations  of  wet  and  dry  seasons,  and  that  of  the  Eastern 
States,  with  their  shifting  and  uncertain  changes.  We  do  not  have,  here 
in  Oregon,  the  torrid  heat  of  California,  nor  do  our  winters  remind  us 
much  of  eastern  freezings  and  thawings.  The  trade  winds  of  the  Pacific 
moderate  the  heat  and  cold,  and  with  the  great  Japanese  Ocean  current, 
serve  as  a regulator  of  temperature.  The  thermometer  rarely  rises  above 
eighty  degrees  in  summer,  in  the  hottest  days,  and  scarcely  ever  sinks 


OREGON  AS  IT  IS. 


7 


below  twenty  in  winter.  So  the  most  active  outdoor  labor  may  be  per- 
formed throughout  the  year.  Strictly  speaking,  the  distinction  of  the 
seasons  does  not  exist  in  Western  Oregon  as  in  the  Eastern  States,  nor  is 
the  application  of  the  terms  dry  and  wet  season  entirely  suitable.  The 
rains,  beginning  last  of  September,  fall  with  increasing  frequency  in  the 
succeeding  months,  from  November  20th,  and  reaching  their  maximum  in 
anv  one  of  the  winter  months.  Diminishing  then  in  intensity,  they 
continue  through  June,  falling  then  semi-occasionally  and  exerting  no  ill- 
effect,  excepting  in  case  that  the  grain  crop  may  suffer  if  far  enough 
advanced.  The  rain-fall  during  a summer  month  may  amount  to  two 
inches,  or  it  may  be  nothing.  Only  twice  in  forty  years  have  the  grain 
crops  been  injured  by  untimely  rains,  for  the  season  of  harvesting  is 
pre-eminently  the  dry  time.  The  summer  of  1883  was  exceptionally 
dry;  less  than  one-fifth  of  an  inch  of  rain  fell  in  June,  July  and  August, 
and  it  was  not  until  the  last  of  September  that  the  rain  fell  in  sufficient 
quantities  to  extinguish  the  forest  fires  and  clear  the  atmosphere  of 
smoke  which  had  for  months  obscured  the  country.  Notwithstanding 
the  lack  of  rain  and  the  uncommonly  warm  season,  no  loss  occurred  to 
the  farmers,  but  a very  profitable  crop  was  harvested.  Drouth  is  never 
known  in  the  Willamette  Yalley.  There  is,  however,  a peculiarity  worthy 
of  note.  The  occurrence  of  “cold  snaps”  of  considerable  severity,  at 
intervals  of  ten  or  twenty  years,  constitutes  an  evil,  which,  although  of 
no  consequence  in  comparison  with  the  extremes  of  other  climates,  is 
yet  sufficiently  remarkable  to  be  noticed.  These  storms  have  only  oc- 
curred, with  severity,  twice,  or,  at  most,  three  times,  since  the  advent  of 
white  men.  They  are  characterized  by  the  depression  of  the  thermome- 
ter nearly,  or  quite  to  zero,  and  more  particularly  by  strong  and  long- 
continued  north  or  east  winds,  and  a light  fall  of  snow. 

According  to  the  mortality  statistics  of  the  census  of  1880,  Oregon 
stands  at  the  head  of  the  list  of  States  for  healthfulness,  the  percentage 
of  deaths  to  population  being  .69,  Missouri  standing  1.63.  It  is  the 
easiest  thing  in  the  world  to  write  up  this  feature,  and  to  make  exagger- 
ated and  unsustainable  assertions,  but  the  Immigration  Bureau  aims  at 
perfect  reliability,  and  therefore  presents  only  substantiated  facts.  These 
undoubtedly  establish  the  assertion  that  Oregon  as  a whole,  or  in  part, 
is  the  healthiest  portion  of  the  continent. 

In  evidence  of  the  above  statement,  we  present  the  following  record 
(official)  of  the  average  number  of  deaths  per  annum  in  every  1000  sol- 
diers, by  disease  : Florida,  26  ; Texas,  50  ; New  Mexico,  20  ; Department 
of  the  Columbia,  9.  Taking  the  years  1868  and  1869,  we  have  the  follow- 
ing : Florida,  16  ; Texas,  11  ; New  Mexico,  8;  Department. of  the  Co- 
lumbia, 1. 

The  years  1870  and  1874  show  the  same  average  ratio  of  those  making 
residence  in  the  Northwest.  From  1874  to  1880  the  death  rate  \gas,  in 
this  department,  less  than  four  in  every  1000,  while  in  the  East  it  was 


8 


OREGON  AS  IT  IS. 


about  eight.  In  the  deaths  from  malaria,  this  department  shows  an 
average  of  ten  per  1000,  and  in  Arizona  160  per  1000.  In  diseases  of  the 
respiratory  organs,  the  average  here  is  one  in  1000,  while  in  Florida  it  is 
three  in  1000.  In  the  three  months  which  we  call  Winter  we  have  the 
climate  of  many  lands. 

Another  strong  argument  in  favor  of  our  climate  is  in  its  relation  to 
agricultural  production.  The  superior  quality  of  our  wheat,  famous  the 
world  over,  clearly  establishes  and  enforces  the  fact  that  we  have  the 
sunshine,  long  days,  cool  nights,  less  intense  heat  in  maturing  months, 
necessary  for  the  perfect  growth  of  the  highest  grade  of  wheat.  Not 
only  this  cereal,  but  the  best  climate  for  oats,  rye,  barley,  corn,  hops, 
grasses,  flax,  vegetables,  fruit  of  all  kinds,  and  berries  of  every  kind 
imaginable,  as  belonging  to  the  temperate  regions. 

MOUNTAINS. 

The  two  principal  ranges  of  mountains  in  the  State  are  the  Coast  and 
Cascade.  They  extend  north  and  south  in  the  western  part  of  the 
State.  The  Willamette  Valley  lies  in  between  these  ranges,  widest  near 
Portland  and  narrowest  150  miles  to  the  south,  where  the  ranges  are 
united  by  the  Calapooia  watershed.  In  the  midst  of  the  Cascade  range 
we  have  Mount  Hood,  with  its  elevation  of  over  11,000  feet,  and  Mount 
Jefferson,  9020  feet  high,  as  the  principal  peaks.  Within  view  of  the 
greater  portion  of  the  western  and  northern  portion  of  the  State,  are 
Mount  Adams  and  St.  Helens.  These  ranges  are  unlike  any  seen  east  of 
the  Rockies,  and  at  all  times  possess  a peculiar  charm,  and  under  their 
protecting  influence  the  valleys  enjoy  that  justly  celebrated  equability  of 
temperature,  and  a much  greater  degree  of  warmth  in  winter  and  cool- 
ness in  summer  than  is  exprienced  in  a similar  latitude  on  the  Atlantic 
coast.  During  the  greater  part  of  the  year  these  hills  are  charming  in 
their  robes  of  brightest  green.  They  are  interesting  at  all  seasons. 

VAULEYS. 

The  principal  valley  in  the  State  is  the  Willamette.  It  is  150  miles 
in  length  and  has  an  average  width  of  about  fifty  miles.  The  head  of 
the  valley  lies  about  midway  between  the  forty -third  and  the  forty- 
fourth  parallels,  north  latitude,  and  extends  along  the  one  hundred  and 
twenty-third  meridian  to  the  Columbia  River,  which,  near  the  forty-sixth 
parallel,  forms  the  northern  boundary.  The  valley  is  hemmed  in  on  the 
east  by  the  Cascade  Mountains,  on  the  west  by  the  Coast  Range,  and  on 
the  south  by  the  Calapooia  Mountains.  Following  the  contour  of  the 
coast,  sometimes  close  upon  it,  and  again  from  thirty  to  forty  miles 
away,  the  Coast  Range  divides  the  Willamette  from  the  many  narrow 
valleys  along  the  sea  shore.  The  Cascade  Range  separates  it  from 
Eastern  Oregon.  In  the  neighborhood  of  forty -four  degrees  north  lati- 


OREGON  AS  IT  IS. 


9 


tude  the  Coast  and  Cascade  Mountain  chains  are  united  by  the  Cala- 
pooia  spur.  The  valley  is  the  widest  along  a line  drawn  east  and  west 
and  a little  south  of  Portland,  and  narrowest  at  a point  about  twenty 
miles  south  of  Eugene  City.  Throughout  its  length  numerous  lateral 
valleys  debouch  upon  it.  The  valley  contains  an  area  of  about  4,500,000 
acres,  one-fifth  of  which  is  held  by  actual  settlement,  or  used  as  grazing 
lands.  With  the  exception  of  Maine,  the  area  of  the  Willamette  Valley 
is  greater  than  any  one  of  the  New  England  States,  and  nearly  a dozen 
times  as  large  as  the  smallest  of  these  States.  The  Willamette,  a navi- 
gable river,  rises  in  the  Calapooia  Mountains  and  flows  the  entire  length 
of  the  valley.  Its  general  course  is  north,  and  in  its  flow  gathers  up  the 
water  of  forty -two  streams,  several  of  which  are  navigable  for  steam 
boats  of  ordinary  size.  The  smaller  streams  are  well  below  the  general 
level  of  the  country,  making  the  drainage  perfect.  The  Willamette  is 
not  the  only  stream  in  the  valley  with  an  immense  volume  of  water, 
but  broken  by  verdure-clad  islands  ; flowing  through  this  “ garden  of  the 
Northwest,”  now  in  deep  forests,  again  in  the  midst  of  rich  meadow 
lands,  it  is  indeed  one  of  the  really  picturesque  streams  of  the  continent. 
But  it  is  not  a picturesque  idleness,  for  these  streams  are  watering  this 
magnificent  valley,  forming  a highway  to  a good  market,  furnishing  un- 
limited power  for  mills  and  machinery,  and  clear,  cool  drinking  water 
for  the  thirsty  people  of  our  cities  and  towns.  The  scenic  aspects  of  the 
valley  are  a constant  surprise  and  delight  to  the  tourist  or  resident,  em- 
bracing views  of  cloud-capped  and  snow-shrouded  mountain  peaks,  and 
the  pastoral  of  hill  and  dale  and  wide-reaching  farm  fields. 

The  central  portion  of  the  valley  lies  at  an  elevation  of  from  seventy 
to  four  hundred  feet  above  tide  water,  as  the  figures  following  will  show: 
The  hights  are  referred  to  the  level  of  the  “basin”  below  the  Willamette 
Falls.  Baker’s  Prairie,  near  Oregon  City,  is  135  feet  above  said  level; 
Mollala  Prairie,  137;  Barlow’s  4934;  the  surface  of  Pudding  River — 
formerly  known  as  Putin,  of  which  “ Pudding  ” is  a clumsy  imitation — 
37;  French  Prairie,  138;  Lake  La  Bische,  97;  Salem  (corner  Commercia] 
and  State  streets),  113;  Jefferson,  173;  Albany,  161;  Corvallis,  150;  Eu- 
gene City,  373.  To  these  elevations  must  be  added  a constant  quantity 
representing  the  hight  of  the  “ basin  ” above  sea-level,  which,  for  ordin- 
ary purposes,  may  be  assumed  as  twenty  feet. 

The  vacant  lands  of  the  Willamette  Valley;  or  those  open  to  settle- 
ment, are  of  four  kinds,  viz:  United  States  Government,  State,  railroad 
and  wagon  road  grants,  and  school  and  university  lands.  As  elsewhere, 
the  government  lands  are  held  at  the  price  of  $1  25  per  acre;  or,  in  case 
of  lands  within  the  limits  of  railroad  grants,  at  double  this  rate.  The 
railroad  lands  are  subject  to  a price  which  varies  according  to  location, 
being  from  $1  25  to  . 7 per  acre.  They  are,  moreover,  to  be  had  on 
favorable  terms  as  to  time  and  modes  of  payment.  Generally  speaking, 
ten  years  credit  is  given;  or  less,  according  to  the  requirements  of  the 


10 


OREGON  AS  IT  IS. 


purchaser.  The  Oregon  and  California  railroad  has  yet  a large  portion 
of  its  grant  in  its  possession,  and  the  character  of  its  land  compares 
favorably  with  that  of  the  adjoining  government  or  private  holdings.  It 
is  chiefly  rolling  land,  covered  more  or  less  thickly  with  brush,  often 
bearing  an  immense  amount  of  the  finest  timber,  but  sometimes  is  open 
prairie,  suitable  for  cultivation  and  grazing.  In  respect  to  the  cost  of 
clearing,  it  is  the  same  as  the  adjacent  tracts.  It  is  well  for  intending 
purchasers  to  bear  in  mind  that  the  lands  spoken  of  as  vacant  are  so 
because  they  require  to  be  cleared  before  they  are  of  any  use.  As  to  the 
cost  of  clearing  up  this  brush  land,  the  estimates  vary  greatly.  As  for 
their  productiveness,  they  are  not  generally  a whit  behind  the  best  valley 
lands,  and  they  have,  as  before  pointed  out,  very  great  advantages  over 
any  valley  land.  As  to  the  total  quantity  of  unoccupied  or  untilled  lands 
suitable  for  settlement  along  the  edges  of  the  valley,  there  can  not  be 
much  less  than  two  million  acres,  making  proper  deductions  for  tracts 
which  are  worthless  because  too  rocky  or  too  steep. 

Rich  in  its  agricultural  resources,  in  its  cultivated  and  uncultivated 
lands,  in  its  water  powers  and  minerals;  rich  in  its  colleges  and  schools 
of  learning,  and  with  a climate  unsurpassed  for  its  salubrity,  the  Willa- 
mette Valley  presents  to  the  immigrant  from  the  East  advantages  that 
cannot  be  matched  anywhere  in  this  country. 

Harney  Valley  is  the  largest  body  of  agricultural  land  in  Grant 
County.  It  is  240  miles  southeast  of  The  Dalles.  There  are  numerous 
streams  in  this  valley,  and  most  of  the  land  is  very  productive.  The 
climate  is  similar  to  that  of  Eastern  Oregon  generally.  The  chief  inter- 
est is  stock  raising.  There  are  upwards  of  200,000  head  of  cattle  on  the 
ranges  there  at  all  seasons  of  the  year.  The  timber  on  the  margin  of 
the  valley  is  among  the  best. 

Another  of  the  fertile  and  pleasantly  located  valleys  in  Oregon  is 
Grand  Ronde,  in  Union  County,  Oregon.  It  contains  upwards  of  280,000 
acres  of  the  best  of  farming  lands;  the  soil  adapted  to  wheat,  rye,  oats, 
barley,  and  all  kinds  of  vegetables.  As  a stock  raising  region  it  is  un- 
surpassed. It  is  in  the  midst  of  a mountainous  region,  and  is  traversed 
by  numerous  streams  of  water.  Adjoining  Grand  Ronde  on  the  east, 
and  really  a part  of  it,  is  Wallowa  Valley,  a very  rich  and  extensive 
country,  with  the  same  general  characteristics  as  to  soil,  timber,  stock, 
grain,  and  the  like. 

South  of  this  great  valley  is  the  Powder  River  country ; a valley  fertile, 
and  especially  adapted  to  stock  raising.  The  railway  to  Baker  City  is 
bringing  this  land  into  prominence  and  making  it  very  valuable. 

Rogue  River  Valley  lies  midway  between  the  Willamette  and  the  Sac- 
ramento valley.  It  is  especially  noted  for  its  fruit,  ranking,  in  this  re- 
spect, above  most  of  the  favored  places  in  the  country.  The  climate  is 


OREGON  AS  IT  IS. 


It 


splendid  the  whole  year  through,  and  the  soil  is  prolific.  The  crops  of 
grain  are  marvelous  in  the  eyes  of  the  eastern  fanner.  The  soil  of  the 
foothills  is  a quick,  rich,  brown  loam,  and  in  the  valley  proper,  a deep, 
rich,  black,  vegetable  loam.  The  valley  has  the  best  of  markets  and 
transportation  facilities. 

GOVERNMENT  LAND. 

There  has  always  been  more  or  less  misapprehension  among  immi- 
grants regarding  Government  lands  in  this  State,  the  general  idea  being 
that  there  are  millions  of  acres  of  such  lands  lying  in  the  valleys,  and 
all  of  it  ready  for  the  plow.  This  is  an  error.  While  it  is  true  that 
there  are  millions  of  acres  of  Government  land,  open  for  settlement,  it 
is  as  true  that  the  great  bulk  of  such  land  lies  in  the  Cascade  and  Coast 
ranges  of  mountains,  and  is  heavily  timbered.  Along  the  foothills  there 
is  some  sections  of  Government  laud  which  is  denominated  “brush  land,” 
and  here  and  there  in  each  quarter  section  a dozen  or  twenty  acres  of  open 
land.  This  is  true  of  the  locality  between  Forest  Grove  and  Astoria,  on  the 
Central  grant  (now  forfeited);  it  is  true  of  some  portions  of  Columbia  Coun- 
ty, Clackamas  County,  Washington  County  and  Linn  County,  in  Western 
Oregon.  In  the  Southern  portion  of  the  State,  in  the  Rogue  River  and 
Umpqua  Valleys,  in  the  Counties  of  Jackson  and  Josephine,  are  large 
able  stretches  of  Government  land.  A part  of  this  land  lies  along  the 
small  streams  and  in  the  little  valleys  putting  into  the  Willamette.  These 
tracts  are  not  extensive,  and  a comparatively  small  proportion  of  the 
whole  is  available  for  agriculture.  It  is  possible  for  the  immigrant  to 
find  now  and  then  an  excellent  location  on  Government  land  in  the 
localities  named  here,  dnder  this  heading,  but  it  is  a mistake  to  say  that 
ten  thousand  immigrants  can  be  so  fortunate.  If  he  must  have  Govern- 
ment land,  the  new-comer  will  have  to  take  his  share  of  heavy  timbered 
land  and  such  land  as  is  removed  somewhat  from  the  lines  of  transporta- 
tion. These  claims  will  be  very  valuable  by  and  by,  and  for  the  present 
will,  if  properly  looked  after,  provide  a good  home  for  the  immigrant 
and  his  family.  But  that  “ properly  looked  after”  means  much  patience, 
some  hardship  and  considerable  hard  work.  It  is  best  that  the  new-comer 
should  realize  this  truth  from  the  start.  Lands  without  timber  will  be 
found  in  Eastern  Oregon, 

HOW  TO  OBTAIN  GOVERNMENT  LAND. 

PEE-EMPTION. 

Heads  of  families,  widows  or  single  persons  (male  or  female)  over  the 
age  of  twenty-one  years,  citizens  of  the  United  States,  or  who  have  de- 
clared their  intention  to  become  such,  under  the  naturalization  laws, 
may  enter  upon  any  “offered”  or  “unoffered”  lands,  or  any  unsurveyed 
lands  to  which  the  Indian  title  has  been  extinguished,  and  purchase  not 


12 


OREGON  AS  IT  IS. 


exceeding  160  acres  under  pre-emption  laws.  A fee  of  $3  is  required 
within  thirty  days  after  making  settlement,  and  within  one  year,  actual 
residence  and  cultivation  of  the  tract  must  be  shown,  whereupon  the 
pre-emptor  is  entitled  to  purchase  the  same  at  $1.25  per  acre,  if  outside 
of  railroad  land  limits,  and  at  $2.50  per  acre  if  within  railroad  land 
limits.  A pre-emptor  may  submit  proofs  of  residence  at  any  time  after 
six  months,  an  obtain  title  to  his  land.  At  any  time  before  expiration 
of  time  allowed  for  proof  and  payment  the  settler  may  convert  his  pre- 
emption claim  into  a homestead.  No  person  who  abandons  his  residence 
upon  land  of  his  own  to  reside  upon  public  lands  in  the  same  State  or 
Territory,  or  who  owns  320  acres  of  land  in  the  same  State  or  Territory, 
is  entitled  to  the  benefits  of  the  pre-emption  laws.  The  latter  provision 
does  not  apply  to  a house  and  lot  in  town. 

HOMESTEAD. 

Any  person  who  is  the  head  of  a family,  or  who  has  arrived  at  the  age 
of  twenty-one  years,  and  is  a citizen  of  the  United  States,  or  who  has 
filed  his  declaration  of  intention  to  become  such,  is  entitled  to  enter 
one-quarter  section,  or  less  quantity,  of  unappropriated  public  land,  un- 
der the  homestead. laws.  The  applicant  must  make  affidavit  that  he  is 
entitled  to  the  privileges  of  the  Homestead  Act,  and  that  the  entry  is 
made  for  his  exclusive  use  and  benefit,  and  for  actual  settlement  and 
cultivation,  and  must  pay  the  legal  fee  and  that  part  of  the  commissions 
required  as  follows  : Fee  for  160  acres,  $10  ; commission,  $6  ; fee  for  80 
acres,  $5  ; commission,  $4.  Within  six  months  the  homesteader  must 
take  up  his  residence  upon  the  land,  and  reside  thereupon,  and  cultivate 
the  same  for  five  years  continuously.  At  the  expiration  of  this  period, 
or  within  two  years  thereafter,  proof  of  residence  and  cultivation  must 
be  established  by  four  witnesses.  The  proof  of  settlement  and  certificate 
of  the  Register  of  the  Land  Office  is  forwarded  to  the  General  Land 
Office  at  Washington,  from  which  a patent  is  issued.  Final  proof  cannot 
be  made  until  the  expiration  of  five  years  from  date  of  entry,  and  must 
be  made  within  seven  years.  The  Government  recognizes  no  sale  of  a 
homestead  claim.  A settler  may  prove  his  residence  at  any  time  after 
six  months,  and  purchase  the  land  under  the  pre-emption  laws  if  desired. 
The  law  allows  but  one  homestead  privilege  to  any  one  person. 

soldiers’  homestead. 

Every  person  who  served  not  less  than  ninety  days  in  the  army  of  the 
United  States  during  “ the  recent  rebellion,”  who  was  honorably  dis- 
charged and  has  remained  loyal  to  the  Government,  may  enter  a home- 
stead, and  the  time  of  his  service  shall  be  deducted  from  the  period  of 
five  years,  provided  that  the  party  shall  reside  upon  and  cultivate  his 
homestead  at  least  one  year  after  he  commences  improvements.  The 
widow  of  a soldier,  or  if  she  be  dead  or  is  married  again,  the  minor  heirs 
(if  any)  may,  through  their  guardian,  make  a homestead  entry,  and  if 


OREGON  AS  IT  IS. 


13 


the  soldier  died  in  service,  the  whole  term  of  his  enlistment  will  be  cred- 
ited upon  the  terms  of  required  residence.  Soldiers  and  sailors  as  above 
may  file  a homestead  declaratory  statement  for  160  acres  of  land  through 
an  agent,  after  which  they  have  six  months  to  file  their  homestead.  This 
latter  entry  may  be  made  in  person. 

TIMBER  CULTURE. 

Under  the  timber  culture  laws  not  more  than  160  acres  on  anyone  sec- 
tion entirely  devoid  of  timber  can  be  entered,  and  no  person  can  make 
more  than  oDe  entry  thereunder.  The  qualifications  of  applicants  are 
the  same  as  under  the  xR’e-emption  and  homestead  laws.  Land  Office 
charges  are  $14  for  160  acres,  or  more  than  80  acres;  for  80  acres  or  less, 
$9  when  entry  is  made  and  $4  at  final  proof.  Land  to  be  entered  must 
be  entirely  void  of  timber.  Party  making  entry  of  160  acres  is  required 
to  break  or  plow  five  acres  during  the  first  year  and  five  acres  during 
the  second  year.  Tiie  five  acres  broken  or  plowed  during  the  first  year 
must  be  cultivated  during  the  second  year,  and  be  planted  to  timber 
during  the  third  year.  The  five  acres  broken  or  plowed  the  second  year 
must  be  cultivated  the  third  year,  and  planted  to  timber  the  fourth 
year.  For  entries  of  less  than  160  acres,  a proportionate  number  of 
acres  must  be  planted  to  trees.  These  trees  must  be  cultivated  and  pro- 
tected, and  at  the  end  of  eight  years,  or  within  two  years  after  that  pe- 
rio.\  proof  by  two  credible  witnesses  must  be  adduced,  showing  that 
there  were  at  the  end  of  eight  years  at  least  675  living,  thrifty  trees  on 
each  of  the  ten  acres  required  to  be  planted;  also  that  no  less  than  2700 
trees  be  planted  to  each  of  the  ten  acres.  Fruit  trees  are  not  considered 
timber  within  the  meaning  of  this  act. 

LAND  OFFICES. 

Government  Land  Offices  are  located  at  Oregon  City, Clackamas  County, 
Oregon;  Eoseburg,  Douglas  County,  Oregon;  Lakeview,  Lake  County, 
Oregon;  The  Dalles,  Wasco  County,  Oregon;  La  Grande, Union  County, 
Oregon;  Olympia,  Thurston  County,  Washington  Territory;  Vancouver, 
Clarke  County,  Washington  Territory;  Yakima  City,  Yakima  County, 
Washington  Territory;  Spokane  Falls,  Spokane  County,  Washington  Ter- 
ritory; WallaWalla,  Walla  Walla  County,' Washington  Territory;  LewistoD, 
Nez  Perce  County,  Idaho.  The  State  Land  Office  for  Oregon  is  at  the 
seat  of  government,  Salem,  Marion  County,  Oregon. 

The  timber  lands  lie  mainly  upon  the  interior  slopes  of  the  mountain 
ranges.  The  extent  of  this  timber  belt  is  very  great;  upon  the  western 
slope  of  the  Cascades  it  is  perhaps  twenty  miles  wide,  and  runs  the  full 
length  of  the  range.  The  locality  of  the  forest  extends  from  the  snow 
line  downwards  nearly  to  the  plains,  but  may  be  said  to  terminate  in  the 
brushy  lands.  There  are  some  detached  bodies  of  evergreen  trees,  par- 
ticularly firs,  growing  down  in  the  valley,  which  are  large  enough  for  use 


14 


OREGON  AS  IT  IS. 


as  saw-logs.  The  trees  attain  their  greatest  development  at  a consider- 
able altitude. 

Of  the  timbered  lands,  the  best  trees  are  found  at  medium  elevations, 
and  are  accessible  by  ordinary  logging  roads.  They  have  a value  de- 
pending upon  their  nearness  to  market,  or  to  streams  of  sufficient  size  to 
float  the  logs.  The  land  is  worth,  for  the  trees  alone,  from  five  to  fifty 
dollars  per  acre,  depending  upon  the  size  and  the  number  of  the  trees. 
“Stumpage,”  or  the  price  of  standing  timber,  is  usually  one  dollar  or 
one  dollar  and  a half  per  thousand  feet,  board  measure.  The  principal 
trees  found  on  low  lands  are  the  fir,  pine,  yew,  ash,  oak,  maple,  balm,  and 
alder;  on  the  hills  there  are  scatterieg  oaks  and  firs,  while  in  the  moun- 
tain regions  grow  the  firs,  pine,  spruce,  hemlock,  cedar,  larch,  and 
madron e,  with  more  or  less  undergrowth,  depending  on  the  altitude. 

FOOTHILLS. 

While  it  is  true  that  a very  great  proportion  of  the  land  in  the  valleys 
is  owned  and  cultivated  by  the  pioneers,  or  their  descendants,  this  does 
not  by  any  means  comprise  all  the  farming  soil  of  this  State.  Besides,  it 
is  being  shown  every  day  that  many  of  the  owners  of  large  farms  are 
willing  to  divide  with  the  bona  fide  farming  immigrant,  and  at  such  rates 
as  make  it  possible  for  him  to  invest  in  this  sort  of  agricultural  land. 
The  foothill  region  of  the  State  is  one  especially  attractive  to  immigrants 
and  persons  with  small  means.  In  that  part  of  the  State  there  is  both 
Government,  State  and  railway  land  for  settlement,  and  where  the  land 
belongs  to  private  parties  it  can  be  purchased  at  a fair  and  moderate 
price.  The  markets  of  this  section  are  convenient  and  transportation 
good.  In  fact,  there  is  about  this  foothill  region  everything  which  can 
tend  to  make  life  comfortable  and  farming  profitable.  The  picture  is  not 
overdrawn  at  all.  The  foothill  farmer  of  the  State  is  among  the  most 
prosperous  in  the  State,  if  not  on  the  American  continent.  He  has  ex- 
ceptional advantages  over  his  brethren  in  the  valleys  in  his  facilities  for 
stock-raising.  He  has  untold  acres  in  the  upper  hills,  upon  which  he 
can  herd  his  stock  in  the  Summer  months,  and  he  can,  without  difficulty, 
cut  hay  enough  to  feed  his  cattle  and  sheep  in  the  short  Winter  season. 
It  is  gratifying  to  state  that  the  valleys  of  the  foothill  counties  of  Ore- 
gon are  coming  to  be  appreciated.  It  is  indisputable  that  the  counties 
verging  on  the  Cascade  and  Coast  Ranges  are  among  the  most  produc- 
tive regions  of  the  State.  The  inconveniences  of  early  days  are  all 
passed  away,  together  with  the  often  rapid  getting  of  money,  and  with 
it  the  alternate  forced  idleness.  One  might  suppose  from  these  facts 
that  all  the  desirable  land  is  already  located.  Not  so.  There  are  still 
remaining  large  quantities  of  land  yet  unentered,  which,  if  put  into  its 
appropriate  crops,  is  more  desirable  than  any  level  land,  mixed  among 
tracts  less  valuable.  These  lands  are  specially  suited  to  the  man  who, 


OREGON  AS  IT  IS. 


15 


with  patience  and  the  help  of  his  family,  will  soon  make  them  into  the 
most  valuable  lands  in  Oregon.  All  the  advances  made  by  the  railways 
have  brought  these  lands  into  ready  connection  with  good  markets,  and 
will  make  every  part  of  the  State  more  favorably  circumstanced  than 
even  the  best  localities  formerly  were.  Men  who  view  farming  land  as 
only  worthy  of  consideration  where  large  blocks  lie  together,  or  who 
value  it  only  according  to  the  ease  with  which  large  quantities  can  easily 
be  cultivated,  are  grossly  at  fault.  It  is  of  no  importance  to  the  poor 
man  that  the  plow  can  go  over  500  acres  in  a single  field.  He  only  wants 
a hundred  acres,  or  less  even,  and  wants  that  in  plots.  In  the  mountain 
and  foothill  regions  of  Oregon  there  are  a great  many  of  these  plots  for 
homesteads  for  the  farmer  who  cannot  manage  more  than  half  of  the 
homestead  or  pre-emption  allowance,  and  who  is  satisfied  that  hillsides, 
if  suitable,  though  often  steep,  may  yield  him  more  income  in  crops 
which  a family  can  materially  help  in  winning,  than  alluvial  bottom 
lands  in  their  crops  which  have  to  be  won  by  his  sole  labor.  On  these 
foothill  lands  he  can  raise  grain,  and  the  best  fruit,  grapes  and  the  veg- 
etables, and  can  always  have  flocks  and  herds  of  cattle.  With  the  aid 
of  sidehill  plows  these  slopes  can  be  utilized  for  raising  grain  of  all 
kinds,  while  for  orchards  and  vineyards  no  better  location  can  be  found 
anywhere.  The  foothill  lands  are  destined  to  play  an  important  part  in 
the  future  prosperity  of  Oregon.  There  is  still  a good  deal  of  Govern- 
ment land  in  these  foothill  regions,  some  for  settlement  through  the  rail- 
way land  departments,  and  some  school  land.  In  all  parts  and  sections 
of  these  localities  lands  can  be  secured  at  very  moderate  rates. 

MINERAL  WEALTH. 


The  mineral  deposits  of  Oregon  are  mostly  confined  to  the  southern 
counties  of  Douglas,  Jackson  and  Josephine,  and  to  the  eastern  counties 
of  Baker,  Grant  and  Union.  The  mineral  wealth  is  both  large  and 
diversified.  Not  alone  in  precious  metals,  but  in  coal,  iron  and  other 
useful  minerals  the  State  is  exceedingly  rich.  From  the  report  of  H.  C. 
Burchard,  Director  of  the  Mint,  we  take  the  following  table  of  the  pro- 
duction of  gold  and  silver  in  this  State  last  year: 


Counties. 

Baker 

Benton 

Coos 

Curry 

Grant 

Jackson. . . . 
Josephine. . 
Union 


Gold. 

Silver. 

Total. 

$190,000 

$5,000 

$195,000 

5,000 

5,000 

5,000 

5,000 

20,000 

200 

20,200 

240,000 

25,000 

265,000 

135,000 

2,000 

137,000 

175,000 

2,000 

177,000 

60,000 

800 

60,800 

$830,000 

$35,000 

$865,000 

Total, 


16 


OREGON  AS  IT  IS. 


He  says  it  has  been  difficult  to  obtain  reliable  information  as  to  the 
amount  of  gold  and  silver  annually  produced  from  mines  in  Oregon,  for 
much  of  it  is  done  by  Chinese,  who  are  reticent  as  to  their  operations. 
It  is  probable  that  the  total  in  Oregon  will  be  fully  SI, 500, 000. 

In  that  portion  of  Baker  county  through  which  flow  Burnt  and  Powder 
rivers  and  their  tributaries,  mining  has  thus  far  been  confined  to  the 
precious  metals,  although  minerals  containing  other  metals  abound. 
Placer  gold  mining,  one  of  the  principal  industries  of  the  county  for  more 
than  twenty  years,  still  gives  employment  to  a larere  per  cent,  of  the 
population,  but  is  being  gradually  relinquished  to  the  Chinese,  who  seem 
peculiarly  fitted  for  that  work  and  ready  to  pay  a round  price  for  ground 
already  worked  over  by  white  men  so  long  as  the  yield  of  gold  will  pay 
them  fair  wages.  They  are  able  to  make  abandoned  mines  pay,  not 
because  they  are  better  miners  than  white  men,  but  for  the  reason  that 
they  live  more  cheaply,  and  are  satisfied  with  smaller  returns  for  their 
labor.  Baker  City  is  about  the  center  of  the  mining  section,  nealy  all 
the  mines  of  the  county  being  within  a radius  of  forty  miles  of  that  place. 

Gold  was  first  discovered  in  Jackson  and  Josephine  Counties  in  1851. 
Perhaps  the  entire  quantity  obtained  during  the  last  thirty  years  has 
not  been  less  than  $40,000,000,  more  than  half  of  which  is  to  be 
credited  to  the  first  decade  in  which  gold  mining  was  prosecuted. 
Hitherto,  as  a rule,  operations,  in  all  their  phases,  have  been  conducted 
in  a very  superficial  manner.  True,  some  wonderfully  rich  deposits  have 
been  found,  and  worked  with  great  profit.  But  only  arastras  and  other 
primitive  methods  for  crushing  the  quartz  have  been  used.  Claims  were 
generally  abandoned  after  the  surface  gravel  was  exhausted.  The  ex- 
pense and  labor  of  sinking  shafts,  driving  tunnels,  and  employing  the 
other  scientific  and  profitable  methods  now  in  vogue,  have  not  been 
applied.  There  seems  at  present,  however,  to  be  a disposition  to  prose- 
cute gold  mining  with  ordinary  skill  and  vigor.  Companies  have  been 
formed  with  the  capital  necessary  to  develop  the  real  value  of  the  depos- 
its. Several  claims  have  been  opened  at  various  points,  on  which  large 
amounts  have  been  expended  for  the  requisite  machinery  to  carry  on 
hydraulic  mining  on  a large  scale. 

Coal  will  take  a foremost  rank  among  the  mineral  resources  which  are 
hereafter  to  be  a prime  factor  in  the  growth  and  development  of  the 
country.  The  abundant  supply  of  this  raw  material  will  keep  in  motion 
many  prosperous  industries.  Immense  beds  of  semi-bituminous  and 
lignite  coal  are  known  to  underlie  many  parts  of  the  region.  Coal  is 
found  at  Yaquina,  at  Port  Orford,  St.  Helens,  and  in  Clackamas,  Clatsop 
and  Tillamook  Counties. 

Iron  ores,  bog,  hematite  and  magnetic,  exist  in  great  masses,  and  may 
be  easily  obtained.  It  abounds  on  the  Columbia  River,  extending  from 
a point  opposite  Kalama,  southward  almost  to  the  falls  of  the  Willamette 


OREGON  AS  IT  IS. 


17 


Biver.  It  is  also  found  in  large  deposits  in  the  Counties  of  Columbia, 
Tillamook,  Marion,  Clackamas,  Jackson  and  Coos.  Smelting  furnaces 
exist  at  Oswego,  on  the  Willamette  Biver,  eight  miles  south  of  Portland. 

Deposits  of  rich  copper  exist  at  various  points,  notably  on  the  line  of 
the  Oregon  and  California  Bailroad  in  Southern  Oregon.  Lead,  tin,  zinc, 
cinnabar,  plumbago,  gypsum,  kaolin,  pottery  clay,  mica,  marble,  granite, 
limestone  and  sandstone  are  also  found. 

EDUCATIONAL. 

The  people  of  Oregon  are  manifestly  and  justly  proud  of  their  educa- 
tional institutions.  No  State  in  the  Union  makes  a more  generous  pro- 
vision for  its  public  schools,  or  has  a more  complete  or  effective  system, 
and  among  the  attractions  of  this  State  are  the  inducements  it  holds  out 
to  the  intending  immigrant  of  the  Old  World  or  our  own  States,  none 
more  worthy  of  attention  than  these  facilities  for  popular  education. 
As  Oregonians  we  feel  a degree  of  interest  in  this  subject  that  justifies 
the  pride  we  take  in  pointing  to  these  schools  as  among  the  chief  attrac- 
tions, and  in  claiming  for  them  a high  degree  of  efficiency,  an  efficiency 
that  will  compare  more  than  favorably  with  that  of  any  other  State  in 
the  Union.  The  educational  system  embraces  the  three  departments: 
The  common  schools,  the  normal  schools,  and  the  State  University.  The 
Willamette  University  is  located  at  Salem,  the  capital  of  the  State,  and 
is  in  a flourishing  condition,  with  a full  corps  of  professors  and  teachers. 
The  Pacific  University  is  located  at  Forest  Grove,  and  is  supported  by 
endowments.  State  University  is  located  at  Eugene  City,  and  the  Cor- 
vallis College  at  Corvallis,  to  which  is  attached  the  State  Agricultural 
College.  The  income  for  these  institutions  Is  derived  mainly  from  a direct 
tax,  imposed  by  law,  though  much  of  the  support  comes  from  the  sale  of 
lands,  granted  to  the  State  by  the  general  Government.  The  State 
Normal  Schools  are  supported  by  appropriations  from  a general  fund, 
and  are  free  to  all  who  desire  to  become  teachers  in  the  public  schools  of 
the  State.  The  especial  pride  of  the  people  is  the  public  school  system. 
In  each  county  there  is  a Superintendent  elected  by  the  people,  and  in 
each  district  there  are  three  Directors  who  manage  all  public  school 
affairs;  one  elected  each  year  to  serve  three  years.  In  all  cases  the  bal- 
ance of  power  is  held  by  the  profession  most  interested,  and  presumably 
the  most  competent  in  the  matter.  The  most  remote  and  thinly  popu- 
lated districts  have  all  the  advantages  of  the  public  school  system. 
Under  this  management  the  progress  of  these  schools  has  been  rapid, 
steady,  and  wholly  gratifying.  New  districts  are  organized  each  year, 
and  nothing  is  left  to  hap-hazard  or  incompetent  management.  The 
salaries  paid  teachers  are  such  as  to  induce  competition  for  places  from 
the  best  people  in  the  profession.  The  head  of  a family  who  brings  his 
children,  and  comes  to  cast  his  lot  among  us,  need  have  no  fear  of  failing 


18 


OKEGON  AS  IT  IS. 


in  his  duty  to  them  in  respect  to  education.  They  will  find  schools,  and 
the  best.  As  to  the  schools  and  educational  facilities  in  Portland,  they 
are  among  the  best  in  the  land. 

CHURCH  INTERESTS. 

The  church  interest  is  a dominant  one  in  the  State.  There  is  scarcely 
a community  or  locality,  no  matter^,  how  isolated,  but  has  its  house  of 
worship  and  a large  and  growing  membership.  In  the  cities  and  towns 
of  the  State  the  church  edifices  are  commodious  and  handsome  struct- 
ures, and  the  pulpits  are  occupied  by  some  of  the  most  able  ministers  in 
the  country. 

PRICE  OF  LAI\I>. 

A good  deal  of  observation  and  inquiry  inclines  us  to  the  belief  that 
the  average  price  of  improved  land  in  Oregon  is  about  $20  to  $22  50  per 
acre.  Unimproved  land  in  the  valleys  is  estimated  at  from  $10  to  $15 
per  acre,  though  large  tracts  are  for  sale  at  a much  lower  figure — as  low 
as  $4  per  acre.  Improved  land  in  the  foothills  is  worth  from  $8  to  $15 
per  acre,  and  this  is  among  the  best  in  the  State  for  the  man  of  small 
means.  There  are  a great  many  considerations  going  to  affect  the  price 
of  land,  such  as  remoteness  or  proximity  to  large  towns,  and  the  market 
and  transportation  facilities,  the  kind  of  soil,  whether  there  are  improve- 
ments— such  as  fences,  barns  and  houses.  Thus,  one  might  go  south 
from  Portland,  say  sixty-five  miles,  and  find  splendid  parcels  of  land  at 
from  $30  to  $40  per  acre,  and  within  ten  miles  of  these  bodies  of  land, 
and  still  in  proximity  to  transportation,  market  and  the  like,  find  excel- 
lent land  offered  at  from  $10  to  $20  per  acre,  or  even  less.  All  of  this  land 
is  well  watered,  and  most  of  it  partially  timbered.  Indeed,  go  where  he  will 
in  the  Willamette  Yalley  or  in  southern  or  in  eastern  Oregon,  the  immi- 
grant cannot  go  amiss  of  all  the  conditions  for  successful  farming.  The 
railroad  and  government,  as  well  as  school  lands,  are  sold  at  far  less  rates 
than  any  we  have  given.  School  land  is  sold  at  $2  per  acre;  government 
at  $2  50  and  $1  25;  and  railroad  lands  from  $3  to  $8,  as  an  average. 
The  immigrant  will  find  plenty  of  such  lands  in  all  portions  of  the  State, 
convenient  to  markets  and  easy  of  access  to  transportation  lines.  Thous- 
ands of  acres  in  the  State  are  available  to  the  small  or  large  farmer  with- 
asufficient  variety  of  location.  In  another  part  of  this  book  we  give  a list 
of  farms  for  sale. 

FARHOCi. 

As  regards  the  position  which  agriculture  has  already  attained  in  this 
State,  it  may  be  said  that  while  it  is  not  so  exalted  as  might  with  the 
almost  matchless  opportunities  have  been  achieved,  yet  it  presents  no 
reason  for  repining.  Progress  has  been  slow;  but  the  community  has 


OREGON  AS  IT  IS. 


19 


attained  the  position  of  a self-supporting  people,  relying  on  themselves 
only  for  the  great  bulk  cf  the  necessities  of  life  and  some  of  its  luxuries. 
The  exportations  are  the  leading  necessities  of  life,  and  hence  indispensa- 
ble to  the  recipients. 

Small  and  mixed  farming  -interchangeable  terms — are  the  tendency 
of  the  day,  and  in  their  progress  point  to  the  decline  of  wheat-raising, 
because  by  their  pursuit  the  land  becomes  gradually  too  valuable  to 
devote  to  a crop  which  is  liable  to  return  its  raiser  only  $10  or  $12  per 
acre.  More  lucrative  pursuits  will  take  its  place,  and  these  will  be 
equally  well  adapted  to  the  climate  and  soil,  but  will  require  much  labor 
for  their  proper  production. 

The  question  is  often  asked,  “ How  do  you  farm?  ” It  is  simply  im- 
possible to  give  any  general  rule.  The  farmer  in  Marion  county  carries 
on  his  occupation  in  accordance  with  the  character  of  his  soil  and 
climatic  surroundings.  The  farmer  in  Douglas,  or  Lane,  or  Benton 
counties  adopts  the  mode  best  suited  to  his  soil  and  climate.  The  first 
thing  is  to  find  the  real  character  of  soil  or  climate;  the  second,  to  farm 
in  accordance  with  that  character. 

Farmers  who  have  followed  mixed  husbandry  In  the  older  Eastern 
States,  are  needed  here  to  introduce  diversified  agriculture,  and  demon- 
strate that  “ some  things  can  be  done  as  well  as  others.”  Wheat  is  the 
great  staple,  but  we  need  the  experience  of  men  who  can  establish  a ju- 
dicious diversity  in  production.  The  class  of  farmers  we  have  here  al- 
ready carry  on  mixed  farming  to  some  extent,  but  they  depend  chiefly 
on  wheat  for  the  income  of  the  farm,  growing  oats,  barley,  hay,  fruit  and 
vegetables  for  their  own  use,  but  not  demonstrating,  as  a rule,  that  the 
farm  can  have  something  as  a source  of  income  every  month  in  the  year. 

The  hay  crop  of  the  State  is  not  excessive,  as  the  demand  for  prepared 
stock  feed  is  necessarily  small.  The  natural  grasses  of  the  State  are 
very  abundant  and  nutritious,  and  it  has  not  been  found  necessary  to  re- 
place them  by  cultivated  varieties,  as  has  been  done  in  the  Eastern  States, 
except  in  Western  Oregon.  In  the  open  spots  in  the  mountains  grasses, 
green  for  the  greater  portion  of  the  year,  grow  thickly,  and  are 
generally  covered  and  shaded  by  fern.  These  grasses  form  the 
principal  sustenance  of  the  cattle  and  sheep  which  may  chance 
to  be  in  the  neighborhood.  The  wild  peavine  grows  there  also, 
and  is  one  of  the  most  valuable  forage  plants.  In  these  isolated 
places,  oases,  as  it  were,  many  thousand  sheep  and  cattle  pas- 
ture, high  up  in  the  mountains,  and  far  above  the  settled  locali- 
ties. They  are  removed  thence  on  the  failure  of  feed  or  the  approach  of 
cold  weather.  Bunch  grass  is  a main  dependence  of  the  nomadic  cattle 
men,  and  is,  indeed,  of  inestimable  value.  The  cultivated  grasses  are 
numerous.  Timothy,  otherwise  called  herd’s-grass,  is  the  principal  va- 
riety, and  is  the  staple  for  hay  production.  It  grows  extremely  well. 


20 


OREGON  AS  IT  IS. 


Red  and  white  clover  are  esteemed  of  great  worth,  and  their  culture  is 
practiced  to  considerable  extent.  Three,  and  even  five  tons  of  cured 
clover  hay,  the  product  of  a single  acre,  in  one  year,  are  not  uncommon 
yields. 

FRUIT. 

Oregon  excels  as  a fruit  country.  No  finer  fruit,  of  the  kinds  raised 
here,  is  produced  in  any  quarter  of  the  globe.  Fruit  trees  will  grow 
from  six  to  eight  feet  the  first  year  ; bear  fruit  the  second,  third  and 
fourth  years,  according  to  variety.  They  thrive  in  the  valleys,  as  well  as 
on  the  foot-hills,  and  up  to  a considerable  height  in  the  mountains,  but 
especially  in  dry,  sheltered  soil.  Yearling  prune,  peach  and  plum  trees, 
eight  feet  high,  and  yearling  cherry  trees  seven  feet  high,  have  been  ex- 
hibited. Apple  trees  commence  bearing  very  young,  sometimes  produc- 
ing fine  fruit  the  second  year  after  grafting  ; and,  if  properly  cultivated, 
are  always  in  bearing  when  four  or  five  years  old.  The  fruit  is  large, 
highly  colored  and  of  the  most  delicious  flavor.  It  is  free  from  the  ap- 
ple worm  and  the  bitter  rot,  and  keeps  remarkably  well,  many  varieties 
lasting  through  the  whole  year.  Pears  also  grow  in  great  perfection. 
The  trees  begin  to  bear  when  remarkably  young,  and  are  exceedingly 
healthy  and  vigorous,  and  being  entirely  free  from  diseases,  will  live  to 
a great  age.  The  trees  are  very  productive  and  the  fruit  highly  flavored. 
Pears  have  been  grown  weighing  over  three  pounds.  Oregon  is  the  very 
Eden  for  cherries,  plums  and  pruns.  The  trees  are  perfectly  healthy, 
grow  vigorously  and  bear  much  earlier  than  in  the  States  east  of  the 
Rocky  Mountains  ; and  for  size,  beauty  and  excellence  of  flavor,  the  fruit 
is  unsurpassed  in  any  part  of  the  globe.  The  plum  and  prune  are  en- 
tirely free  from  the  attack  of  the  curculio.  Plums  and  prunes,  especially 
the  latter,  are  found  to  be  so  profitable  for  drying,  that  orchards  are  be- 
ing planted  for  that  purpose.  Not  less  than  two  hundred  thousand  trees 
have  been  planted  within  twenty  or  thirty  miles  of  Portland,  in  the  last 
three  or  four  years.  Trees  of  all  varieties  of  apple,  pear,  plum,  prune, 
cherry,  etc.,  known  in  the  best  catalogues,  can  be  obtained  in  the  nurser- 
ies near  Portland,  at  reasonable  prices.  Strawberries,  currants,  rasp- 
berries and  gooseberries,  of  a fine  quality,  are  raised  in  abundance.  Sev- 
eral of  the  hardier  varieties  of  grapes  are  successfully  cultivated.  The 
summer  nights  are  too  cool  for  the  successful  cultivation  of  peaches. 

OTHER  FEATURES. 

Perhaps  wheat  will  always  be  the  chief  staple  production  of  Oregon, 
but  not  the  only  one.  Meadow  and  pasture  can  be  adapted  to  the  farm 
in  such  a manner  as  to  yield  a fair  revenue,  and  answer  another  purpose 
that  our  people  too  often  lose  sight  of — to  sustain  and  even  improve  the 
fertility  of  the  soil.  There  is  no  need  that  the  soil  should  become  worn 
out  when  stock  raising  of  all  kinds,  and  sheep  husbandry,  can  be  made 


OREGON  AS  IT  IS. 


21 


reliable  sources  of  profit.  The  farmer  who  keeps  a few  choice  mares  and 
cows,  and  breeds  judiciously,  can  make  them  pay  well.  Here,  though 
land  is  valuable,  sheep  can  be  used  to  some  extent  as  scavengers,  also  to 
sustain  the  fertility,  and  their  wool  and  increase  will  make  rapid  and 
satisfactory  returns. 

Poultry  can  be  made  to  pay  well,  for  we  have  a good  market  for  eggs 
and  fowls.  This  is  already  done,  but  could  be  better  done  than  it  is, 
and  made  a regular  business. 

Dairying  pays  well  when  well  carried  on,  and  can  be  made  a paying 
branch  of  every  farm  if  carefully  and  scientifically  conducted. 

Another  branch  of  farm  income,  that  is  seldom  encouraged  as  it  de- 
serves, is  growing  and  curing  pork.  Eastern  readers  will  be  incredulous 
when  they  are  told  that  most  of  the  towns  in  Oregon  are  to-day  supplied, 
more  or  less,  with  bacon,  hams  and  lard  brought  from  St.  Louis,  Chi- 
cago, Kansas  City  or  Omaha.  Such  is  the  case,  however.  All  the  fall 
and  winter  meat  packers  have  paid  eight  cents  per  pound  for  good  hogs. 
There  is  not  a single  thing  in  the  conditions  of  our  climate,  or  our  pro- 
ductions, except  that  we  have  no  corn  as  a general  staple,  to  enforce 
this  import  of  pork.  We  have  the  proper  feed  out  of  which  to  make 
good  pork;  and  we  do  make  some,  but  not  enough.  The  man  who 
wishes  to  engage  in  stock  raising  on  the  wide  ranges  can  invest  money 
in  that,  as  much  or  little  as  he  chooses;  can  buy  out  some  man  in  busi- 
ness, or  go  into  it  on  his  own  account.  He  can  locate,  if  he  chooses,  a 
land  claim  where  he  can  do  farming  and  keep  stock  also.  It  will  be 
seen  from  this  that  the  man  who  wishes  to  engage  in  the  stock  business 
can  find  in  this  portion  of  the  world  any  opportunity  he  can  reasonably 
expect. 

The  hop  grower  can  do  as  well  here,  and  probably  better,  than  in  any 
old-settled  hop  growing  district.  If  there  is  a good  market  for  hops  he 
can  certainly  grow  the  hops  if  he  understands  how. 

The  market  gardener  can  locate  near  some  growing  town — Portland, 
for  instance — and  can  soon  work  up  a good  business. 

GAME. 

It  would  be  difficult  to  find  a finer  field  for  the  sportsman  than  Ore- 
gon. In  all  the  valleys  of  the  State,  deer,  pheasant,  grouse,  quail,  snipe 
— the  last  four  of  unusual  size— abound.  Iu  the  fall,  wild  geese  and 
ducks  swarm  along  all  of  the  water  courses.  Wild  swan  are  very  numer- 
ous on  the  lakes  and  rivers  of  southeastern  Oregon.  In  the  sage  dis- 
tricts of  the  latter  region,  the  sage-hen  makes  its  home.  The  Cascade 
and  Coast  ranges  and  the  minor  chains  are  frequented  by  elk,  deer  and 
antelope  in  great  numbers,  as  also  by  yellow  and  silver  foxes,  mink  and 
marten.  Black,  cinnamon  and  grizzly  bear,  wildcat,  wolf  and  the  cougar, 
roam  in  these  mountains.  Of  the  larger  game,  however,  only  deer  visit 
the  uninhabited  portions  of  the  State. 


22 


OKEGON  AS  IT  IS. 


i OMPAR  ATIVE  TA  X ATIOA. 

In  speaking  of  this  matter  of  taxation,  we  make  a comparison  witli 
California.  To  show  it  best  we  give  the  following  table: 


Taxation.  State.  County.  Toum,  City,  Etc.  Total. 

Oregon $ 177,653  $ 362,753  $ 40,550  $ 580,956 

California 2.540,383  5,068,041  208,691  7,817,115 


Average  each  person,  Oregon,  $6.40;  California,  $11. 

It  the  matter  of  public  indebtedness  the  average  per  capita  in  Oregon 
is  $2.40,  while  in  California  it  is  $32. 

who  ssioi  «ii>  com:. 

General  advice  can  be  given  only  to  the  classes  of  immigrants.  The 
application  of  this  advice  to  special  cases  must  be  the  business  of  each 
individual  himself.  The  same  qualities  are  necessary  to  success  here  as 
elsewhere.  Any  other  notion  will  lead  to  disappointment.  No  one 
should  think  of  emigrating  without  sufficient  means  for  self-support  for 
a few  months  at  least,  after  reaching  the  objective  point,  for  suitable 
employment  immediately  after  arrival  can  not  always  be  relied  on,  and 
there  is  nothing  more  discouraging  to  the  new-comer  than  to  become  a 
subject  of  public  or  private  charity.  This  caution  applies  particularly 
to  heads  of  families,  who  would  be  cruelly  derelect  in  their  duty  to  ex- 
pose those  depending  on  them  to  the  risk  of  destitution  on  arrival. 
Families  who  contemplate  settling  on  lands  will  require,  after  providing 
for  all  traveling  expenses,  from  $300  to  $500,  with  which  to  meet  the 
cost  of  putting  up  a house,  for  live-stock,  seed,  farming  implements, 
provisions,  etc. 

Good  health  is  the  first  requisite  of  a person  who  proposes  to  emi- 
grate to  a new  country,  with  a view  to  improving  his  condition  in  life. 
Although  the  climate  of  Oregon  is  so  favorable  as  to  insure  exemption 
from  many  diseases  which  prevail  in  other  States,  and  to  promise  relief 
in  other  ailments,  the  chances  are  that  immigration  will  prove  a mistake 
in  the  case  of  confirmed  invalids  who  are  compelled  to  work  for  a 
living. 

Generally  speaking,  persons  accustomed  to  ordinary  and  mechanical 
labor,  and  who  unite  frugal  habits  with  persevering  industry,  will  run 
the  least  risk  in  emigrating  ; but  individuals  unwilling  to  work,  or  ac- 
customed to  live  by  their  wits,  are  not  wanted.  Idlers  will  only  go  from 
bad  to  worse,  and  adventurers  will  not  prosper.  It  requires  health,  la- 
bor, courage  and  persistence  to  succeed  here,  as  elsewhere,  and  emi- 
grants must  expect  to  endure  the  privations  of  life  in  a newr  country, 
holding  before  them  the  certainty  of  future  comfort  and  prosperity. 
Capitalists  could  not  make  a mistake  by  investing  their  money  here  in 
the  purchase  of  timber,  mineral  or  agricultural  lands,  and  by  establish- 
ing manufactories  for  the  production  of  all  goods  made  of  wool,  iron  or 


OREGON  AS  IT  IS. 


23 


wood.  Such  opportunities  for  making  great  wealth  do  not  exist  else- 
where. In  this  region  money  don’t  grow  on  trees,  and  most  honest  peo- 
ple get  it  only  by  the  sweat  of  the  brow,  still  there  is  enough  filthy  lucre 
in  these  parts  to  supply  a moderate  amount  of  it  to  every  industrious, 
energetic  person  who  is  rightly  anxious  to  work  without  being  too  par- 
ticular as  to  the  kind  of  work. 

We  can  not,  at  present,  encourage  the  immigration  of  more  than  a very 
few  professional  men — such  as  lawyers,  doctors,  surveyors  and  civil 
engineers — unless  they  have  money  beyond  the  expected  earnings  of 
their  profession,  and  are  prepared  to  take  their  chances  after  arrival. 
Clerks,  shopmen,  or  those  having  no  particular  trade  or  calling,  and  men 
not  accustomed  to  work  with  their  hands,  if  without  means  of  their  own, 
would  probably  meet  with  disappointment  and,  perhaps,  hardship. 
Tutors,  governesses,  housekeepers,  needlewomen,  and  women  generally 
above  the  grade  of  domestic  servants  should  not  come  alone  to  this  State 
at  present,  and  they  should  not  come  at  all,  unless  to  join  friends  or 
relatives  able  to  maintain  them  for  some  time  after  arrival. 

A good  woman  servant  might  soon  make  money,  there  being  a good 
demand  for  such  labor.  For  men  there  is  an  open  field  with  no  favor. 
For  women  an  open  field  full  of  favors. 

The  urgent  requirements  of  the  State  at  the  present  time  are  men  and 
money — the  laborer,  the  mechanic,  the  real  farmer,  dairyman,  fruit- 
grower or  stockraiser,  and  the  large  and  small  capitalist.  Every  man 
who  is  able  and  willing  to  work  with  his  hands  can  find  some  employ- 
ment at  fair  wages,  especially  those  who  are  fitted  for  farm  work.  Rail- 
roads, public  works,  mines,  mills,  logging  camps,  fisheries  and  farms  all 
require  labor. 

Any  smart,  active,  capable  man,  with  only  a little  money,  but  accus- 
tomed to  work  with  his  hands,  is  sure  to  succeed  in  making  a comfortable 
home  in  Oregon.  Wages  are  good;  land,  food  and  house  materials  are 
still  relatively  cheap.  If  such  a settler  has  a strong  heart  himself,  and 
is  blessed  with  a common-sense  wife  used  to  country  work,  he  may  con- 
fidently look  forward  to  becoming  even  rich.  He  need  not  long  remain 
in  the  condition  of  a laborer.  This  certainty'of  rising  in  the  social  scale 
must  stimulate  the  immigrant. 

To  farmers’  sons,  or  persons  with  moderate  means,  qualified  for  the 
life  of  a settler  in  this  country,  who  can  not  see  openings  in  older  coun- 
tries— who  can  not  go  up,  because  the  passages  are  blocked;  who  can  not 
go  down,  because  their  habits  and  pride  forbid-  -the  varied  resources  of 
the  country  would  seem  to  promise  success,  if  they  avoid  whiskey  and 
are  industrious  and  patient. 

Farmers  themselves,  with  limited  capital,  who  are  uneasy  about  their 
own  future,  and  that  of  their  children,  and  are  prepared  to  emigrate, 
should  consider  the  advantages  which  Oregon  affords,  irrespective  of 


24 


OREGON  AS  IT  IS. 


the  climate,  which  must  be  attractive  to  alb  They  should  have  at  least 
sufficient  capital  to  be  independent  for  twelve  months.  It  is  often  best 
for  the  father  to  go  out  and  pave  the  way  for  the  little  folks. 

The  monied  man,  who  looks  to  the  actual  growth  of  industries  in  the 
State  and  the  new  permanent  markets  aud  industries  which  the  trans- 
continental railroads  create,  and  who  considers  the  varied  natural 
resources  of  the  country,  can  not  fail  to  find  investments  that  will 
promise  good  returns  on  capital. 


01>1> 


IMMIGRANT  RATES. 


The  following  are  third  class  rates  from  prominent  eastern  cities  to 
Portland,  Oregon,  via  the  Northern  Pacific  : 


From  New  York $70  50 

Pittsburg,  Pa 64  00 

Baltimore,  Md 68  50 

Cincinnati,  Ohio ....  60  00 

Columbus,  Ohio....  61  50 

Chicago,  111 53  50 

Nashville,  Tenn 57  00 

St.  Paul  or  Minneap- 
olis   45  00 


From  New  Orleans ,..  $64  00 

Buffalo 64  50 

Philadelphia 69  00 

Washington,  D.  C. . . 68  50 

Cleveland,  Ohio 61  50 

Detroit,  Mich 59  50 

St.  Louis,  Mo 53  50 

Indianapolis 60  00 

Kansas  City 45  00 


The  following  are  emigrant  rates  to  Portland,  via  the  Union  Pacific 
Bail  way  and  Orego  > Short  Line  : 


From  Chicago  and  St.  Louis $52  50 

New  York 69  50 

Denver,  Col 45  00 

Pittsburg,  Pa 63  00 

Wheeling,  W.  Ya 63  00 


Omaha,  Council  Bluffs,  St.  Joseph  and  Ft.  Leavenworth . . 45  00 


From  Portland  the  new-comer  can  go  to  any  part  of  Western  or 
Southern  Oregon,  by  the  Oregon  and  California  Railway.  The  road 
through  the  valley  takes  the  immigrant  from  Portland  to  Ashland,  a 
distance  of  341  miles,  and  gives  him  a splendid  panoramic  view  of  this 
portion  of  the  State.  He  passes  through  the  midst  of  one  of  the  finest 
farming  regions  in  the  world. 

The  same  company  operate  a line  of  railway  between  Portland  and 
Corvallis,  on  the  west  side  of  the  Willamette  River. 


The  Immigration  Board,  through  an  arrangement  with  the  Oregon 
and  California  Railway,  issues  special  immigrant  tickets  to  all  points  on 
the  east  and  west  side  roads. 


OREGON  AS  IT  IS.  25 

The  reduction  obtained  by  the  immigrant  is  nearly  50  per  cent.  The 
following  are  the  reduced  rates  to  the  points  named  : 

EAST  SI1)E. 


Oregon  City. . 

Single 

Trip. 

$ 15 

Round 

Trip. 

$ 90 

Drain 

Single 

Trip. 

$ 4 85 

Round 

Trip. 

$ 9 70 

Salem 

1 60 

3 20 

Oakland 

5 45 

10  90 

Albany 

2 40 

4 80 

Roseburg 

5 95 

11  90 

Lebanon  

2 70 

5 40 

Grant’s  Pass. . . 

8 90 

17  80 

Harrisburg 

3 15 

6 30 

Medford 

9 85 

19  70 

Eugene  City . . . 

3 70 

7 40 

Ashland 

10  25 

20  50 

Hillsboro 

65 

WEST 

1 30 

SIDE. 

McMinnville  . . 

1 50 

3 00 

Forest  Grove . . 

75 

1 50 

Independence. . 

2 30 

4 60 

Yamhill 

1 20 

2 40 

Corvallis 

2 90 

5 80 

Trains  leave  Portland  morning  and  evening. 


WESTERN  OREGON  STAOE  U.\ES. 

Stages  run  daily  from  Salem  to  Dallas,  Independence  and  Monmouth, 
in  Polk  County;  also  to  Silverton,  in  Marion  County. 

A tri-weekly  stage  goes  from  Turner,  in  Marion  County,  to  Aumsville, 
Stayton,  Sublimity  and  Mehama. 

A daily  stage  runs  from  Marion,  in  Marion  County,  to  Scio,  iu  Linn 
County. 

A daily  stage  line  connects  Corvallis  with  Albany;  also  stages  run  reg- 
ularly from  Corvallis  to  Philomath. 

A stage  line  is' in  operation  from  Roseburg  to  Coos  Bay  and  Scottsburg. 

A regular  stage  line  goes  from  Ashland,  in  Jackson  County,  across  the 
Cascade  Mountains  to  Linkville,  in  Klamath  County,  and  Lakeview,  in 
Lake  County. 

Daily  stages  connect  with  the  terminal  points  of  the  railroads  con 
structing,  south  from  Oregon  and  north  from  California,  so  that  through 
travel  is  now  made  in  two  days  or  less. 

Daily  stages  leave  Portland  for  Vancouver  at  9:80  a.  m.  and  8:30  p.  m.  ; 
Vancouver  for  Portland  at  at  7:30  a,  m.  and  12:30  p.  m. 

Daily  stages  leave  East  Portland  at  8 a.  m.  for  Mt.  Tabor,  Powell’s 
Valley,  Rockford,  Pleasant  Home,  Sandy,  Eagle  Creek,  George  and  Zion. 

Stages  leave  Oregon  City  Mondays,  Wednesdays  and  Fridays  at  9 a.  m* 
for  Molalla,  Mulino,  and  Wilhoit  Springs. 


26 


OREGON  AS  IT  IS. 


<*  I JEST  IOWS  ANSWERED. 

Writing  to  the  Board  of  Immigration,  inquirers  desire  to  have  infor- 
mation in  detailed  form.  Below  are  given  usual  questions  and  replies : 

Hotel  rates  in  the  towns  of  the  interior  average  $1  per  day  for  tran- 
sient customers.  This  includes  all  accommodations  and  attention. 
Board  and  lodging  by  the  week,  about  $5  at  the  hotels;  about  $4.50  at 
private  houses. 

House  rents  in  these  interior  towns  are  quite  uniform.  , Good  five-room 
houses,  with  some  yard  attached,  can  be  had  for  from  $6  to  $8  per  month. 

Farm  hands  command  about  $25  per  month,  by  the  year’s  hire;  harvest 
hands,  $1.75  to  $2.50  yjer  day;  house  servants,  about  $20  per  month.  For 
mechanics,  the  average  is  probably  $3  per  day. 

Milch  cows  are  worth  about  $30  each.  Horses  average  $200  a span. 

Emigrants  are  recommended  not  to  linger  about  the  towns  and  cities 
at  which  they  may  arrive,  but  to  proceed,  with  as  little  delay  as  possible, 
either  to  their  friends,  if  they  have  any  in  the  State,  or  to  the  localities 
where  they  are  likely  to  meet  with  employment. 

The  immigration  agent  at  Portland  will  furnish  information  as  to 
lands  open  for  settlement  in  the  respective  counites,  farms  for  sale,  de- 
mand for  labor,  rates  of  wages,  routes  of  travel,  distances,  expense  of 
conveyance. 

A large,  free  way  of  life  prevails  in  all  the  countries  of  the  “Pacific 
Slope,”  or  Northwest  America,  owing  to  their  climate,  circumstances  and 
history.  ^ Men  produce  much;  they  consume  much,  and  they  spend  much. 
This  free  way  is  attractive,  but  the  young  immigrant, -in  particular,  will 
do  well  to  bear  in  mind  that  thrift , here  as  elsewhere,  is  at  the  root  of 
success. 

What  is  your  climate  ? — The  best.  Is  your  State  well  watered  with 
running  streams? — Yes.  Is  there  plenty  of  timber? — Plenty  of  it  in  the 
mountains  and  foothills.  On  what  terms  can  farms  be  rented,  cash? — 
About  $1.75  per  acre  for  cultivated  soil.  What  grain  rent?-— One-third 
of  crop.  Have  you  free  schools? — Yes.  Amount  per  capita  of  public 
money?— $2.25  and  $3.  What  do  teachers  get? — Males,  $35  to  $80; 
females,  $30  to  $60.  What  minerals  have  you? — Gold,  silver,  copper, 
lead,  iron,  tin,  zinc,  cinnabar.  What  is  your  staple  product? — Wheat. 
Hired  help? — Male,  $18  to  $30  per  month;  female,  $2.50  to  $3.50  per 
week.  Interest  on  money? — Ten  per  cent.  What  is  value  of  cultivated 
land?— Farms,  not  above  $20  per  acre;  uncultivated,  $4  to  $8.  Average 
yield  of  wheat? — About  18;  oats,  27.  Average  price  of  wheat? — 75  cents; 
oats,  30  cents.  What  is  the  cost  of  plowing? — $2  an  acre;  rolling,  30 
cents;  harrowing,  30  cents;  seeding,  1%  bushels  to  acre;  cost  of  trans- 
portation to  market,  $2  per  ton  for  wheat,  oats,  barley,  etc.;  tax  on  culti- 
vated land,  from  15  to  30  mills.  Do  you  summer  fallow? — Yes.  Average 
depth  of  plowing? — Six  inches.  Do  you  subsoil? — Not  generally.  Un- 


OREGON  AS  IT  IS. 


27 


avoidable  losses  on  account  of  weather? — Very  slight.  Amount  of  hay 
per  acre? — Clover,  five  tons;  timothy,  three  tons;  cost  of  cutting,  50  cents 
per  acre.  Cost  of  dairy  stock? — Common,  $25  to  $40.  Cost  of  shearing 
sheep? — Seven  cents  per  head.  Does  sheep  industry  pay? — Yes.  What 
herds  most  profitable  for  wool? — Merino  and  Leicester.  For  mutton? — 
Southdowns.  Average  weight  of  fleece?— Three  pounds.  Price  of  wool? 
Average,  15  cents.  Method  of  wintering? — Mostly  grass. 

i 

POPULATION. 

The  present  population  of  Oregon  is  doubtless  in  the  neighborhood  of 
250,000.  The  vote  of  the  State  in  November  was  52,656.  The  usual 
estimate  of  five  persons  to  a voter  may  be  considered  as  about  correct, 
and  therefore  the  population  of  the  State  on  January  1,  1885,  may  be 
considered  as  263,280.  This  will  allow  for  two  months’  growth  since  the 
election.  By  counties  the  population  is  as  follows: 


County.  Vote  1884.  Population. 

Baker 1,792  8,960 

Benton 2,067  10,335 

Clackamas 2,495  12,475 

Clatsop 1,550  7,750 

Columbia 762  3,810 

Coos 1,445  7,225 

Crook 641  3,205 

Curry 335  1,675 

Douglas 2,375  11,875 

Grant 1,334  * 6,670 

Jackson 2,275  11,375 

Josephine 549  2,745 

Klamath 332  1,660 

Lake 387  1,635 

Lane 2,556  12,780 

Linn 3,167  15,835 

Marion 3,910  19,550 

Multnomah 9,020  49,100 

Polk 1,568  7,840 ' 

Tillamook 377  1,885 

Umatilla 3,923  19,615 

Union 2,536  12,680 

Wasco 3,042  15,210 

Washington 1,847  9,235 

Yamhill ' 2,266  11,330 


Total 52,656  267,280 


Portland  is  the  chief  city  in  the  State,  and  has  a population  of  about 
40,000  people.  It  is  the  commercial  metropolis  of  the  Pacific  Northwest. 
The  following  table  shows  the  number  of  business  houses  and  corpora- 
tions of  the  several  classes  in  Portland.  It  includes  such  branch  houses 
as  have  actual  establishments,  and  are  engaged  in  active  business  here, 


28 


OREGON  AS  IT  IS. 


excluding  those  which  are  merely  represented  by  agents  having  an  office. 
Incorporated  banks  are  not  included,  but  private  banking  houses  are. 
Such  corporations  only  are  mentioned  as  make  Portland  their  bona  fide 
headquarters  and  the  central  point  for  the  expenditure  of  their  capitai. 


Capital.  No. 

$40,000  to  $75,000 45 

75,000  “ 125,000 29 

125.000  “ 200,000 15 

200.000  “ 300,000 6 

300,009  “ 500.000 7 

500.000  “ 750,000 1 

750.000  “ 1,000,000 4 

1,000,000  and  upward 14 


COMMERCIAL. 

The  capital  above  represented  aggregates  considerably  upwards  of 
$30,000,000,  exclusive  of  the  assets  of  the  largest  of  our  corporations. 

During  the  year  1884,  the  v.  iue  of  domestic  imports  by  rail  and  water, 
amounted  to  $18,686,129.  Tin  foreign  imports  $1,013,866.  Value  of  do- 
mestic exports  for  the  same  time,  were  $6,284,735.  Value  of  foreign 
exports,  $5,648,116  ; receipts  of  wheat  at  Portland,  3,027,061  centals,  and 
of  flour,  403,463  barrels.  Wheat  and  flour  exported  of  the  value  of  $5,- 
599,819.  Exports  of  wool,  8,942,517  pounds,  valued  at  $1,403,758.  Ex- 
ports of  hops,  3,578,074  pounds,  valued  at  $524,117.  A grain  fleet  of 
eighty-six  vessels,  registering  92,272  tons,  carrying  143,532  short  tons 
wheat  and  flour,  and  245,323  cases  salmon.  The  wholesale  trade  of  the 
city  for  1884,  foots  up  to  $40,650,000.  The  largest  valley  receipts  of 
wheat  are  from  Linn,  Marion,  Yamhill  and  Lane  counties.  Washington, 
Benton,  Clackamas  and  Polk  also  furnish  wheat.  Douglas  has  sent  in 
some  little.  Columbia,  Clatsop  and  Tillamook  send  none  to  this  market. 
Receipts  from  the  eastern  section  are  from  both  Oregon  and  Washing- 
ton, the  later  furnishing  the  larger  portion  of  receipts.  Wasco  is  not 
much  of  a grain  producing  county,  Umatilla  raises  a considerable 
quantity,  and  is  a good  producing  county.  In  Washington,  Klickitat 
County  consumes  the  bulk  of  production  at  home.  Walla  Walla,  Co- 
lumbia and  Whitman  furnish  the  larger  part  of  Washington's  wheat. 
Flour  is  ground  mostly  at  Salem,  Albany,  Turner’s  and  Oregon  City,  in 
the  valley,  but  almost  every  town  has  one  or  more  mills  that  seek  a mar- 
ket for  part  of  their  product  here.  The  Oregon  City  mills  have  been 
idle  since  last  summer.  The  Portland  mill,  at  Albina,  started  up  early 
in  December.  Flour  classed  as  standard  brand  is  ground  by  one  mill  at 
Albany  ; two  mills  at  Salem,  one  at  Turner’s,  one  at  Albina  and  those  at 
Oregon  City.  The  mill  at  Milwaukie  is  in  operation  this  season.  In  the 
eastern  section  the  largest  grinding  is  done  by  mills  at  Walla  Walla, 
Prescott,  Echo,  Spokane  Falls  and  Dayton.  Up  to  October  oats  were 
received  only  from  the  valley  and  from  Clarke  County,  W.  T.,  with  oc- 


OREGON  AS  IT  IS. 


29 


casionally  some  from  Puget  Sound  section.  Union  County,  Oregon,  is 
now  sending  large  shipments  and,  with  Baker,  promise  to  send  freely  in 
the  future,  although  home  values  have  been  but  half  a cent  this  season. 
Barley  comes  from  all  sections,  no  one  county  furnishing  much,  but 
Wasco  and  Umatilla  are  increasing  their  outturn.  Millstuff  is  furnished 
by  all  mills  that  send  flour. 

A few  potatoes  come  from  Wasco  county.  Hay  is  almost  entirely  a 
valley  product.  Wool  comes  from  all  parts,  the  eastern  section  last  cal- 
endar year  furnishing  8,758,000  pounds  against  1,520,000  pounds  from 
the  Willamette  Valley.  Wasco,  Umatilla,  Union,  Baker  and  Grant  are 
the  largest  producers,  but  Washington  Territory  counties  have  always 
sent  some.  In  the  valley  this  product  is  general,  the  finest  grades  com- 
ing from  the  Umpqua  Valley,  in  Lane  and  Douglas  counties.  Jackson 
sent  more  the  past  year,  and  the  receipts  also  include  a little  from  the 
extreme  north  of  California.  All  the  southern  counties  contain  sheep. 
There  is  a woolen  mill  at  Ashland,  one  at  Oregon  City  and 
one  at  Brownsville.  Hides  come  from  all  parts  of  Oregon  and 
Washington.  The  eastern  section  sent  very  little  fruit  the  past 
year,  needing  all  for  home  use  and  eastern  shipment.  Flaxseed 
is  mostly  from  parts  along  the  Snake  River  in  Eastern  Oregon 
and  Idaho.  Less  is  being  raised  compared  with  three  to  eight 
years  ago,  as  it  must  be  marketed  in  San  Francisco  at  small  margin  of 
profit.  Hops  are  raised  in  Lane  county  mostly,  although  counties  this 
side  furnish  more  or  less.  Valley  receipts  include  arrivals  from  Puget 
Sound,  which  constitute  by  far  the  most  important  portion.  From  the 
eastern  sections  receipts  are  almost  entirely  from  Yakima  county.  Lime 
receipts  are  from  Puget  Sound,  the  San  Juan  Islands  furnishing  nearly 
all  received.  In  addition  to  the  articles  named  we  receive  all  sorts  of 
farm  products.  Very  little  corn  has  ever  been  raised,  except  in  Southern 
Oregon;  but  recent  experiments  in  the  eastern  section  show  that  it  can 
be  grown  there.  We  receive  all  sorts  of  fruits  that  can  be  raised  in  this 
climate,  grapes  mostly  coming  from  Southern  Oregon.  The  orchards  of 
Oregon  have  been  largely  permitted  to  care  for  themselves  in  late  years, 
but  there  is  a new  movement  to  improve  them.  The  crop  of  apples, 
pears,  plums  and  prunes  has  been  heavy,  selling  at  prices  that  are  fair. 

In  the  character  of  its  public  buildings,  business  blocks,  residences, 
churches,  newspapers,  school  buildings,  streets,  railways,  railway  offices 
docks,  manufacturing  establishments,  and  the  like,  Portland  compares 
favorably  with  any  city  in  the  common  country.  The  growth  of  the  city 
has  been  steady,  and  each  year  confidence  in  the  future  is  indicated  by 
the  investment  of  a large  amount  of  capital  in  business  buildings  and 
costly  residences. 

There  is  tributary  to  Portland  an  area  of  country  as  great,  and  pros- 
pectively as  valuable,  as  that  of  the  great  State  of  Pennsylvania.  It  will 


30 


OREGON  AS  IT  IS. 


always  command  the  trade  of  this  vast  domain.  The  Willamette  valley 
alone  is  capable,  when  fully  settled,  of  supporting  a large  city.  It  repre- 
sents a body  of  the  finest  agricultural  land  in  the  country — supplied  with 
abundant  water  power-equal  in  length  to  a line  drawn  from  Washington 
to  Philadelphia,  by  an  average  width  equal  to  the  distance  between 
Washington  and  Baltimore.  If  one  will  reflect  for  a moment  upon  the 
wealth  of  such  a body  of  land  in  our  Eastern  States,  a picture  will  be 
presented  of  what  the  future  lias  in  store  for  us. 

In  addition,  we  command  the  trade  of  the  fertile  valleys  of  the  Umpqua 
and  Hogue  rivers  in  Western  Oregon,  the  seaboard  counties,  and  the 
country  lying  along  the  lower  Columbia  and  its  tributaries.  The  Eastern 
Oregon  stock  regions  are  also  beginning  to  furnish  a trade  that  must 
grow  steadily  in  extent  and  value,  while  the  remarkable  success  that  has 
attended  the  cultivation  of  lands  throughout  the  “Inland  Empire,” 
which  were  formerly  thought  to  be  desert  and  unproductive,  argues  well 
for  the  future  of  a great  wheat,  Hour  and  stock-raising  country. 

Portland,  then,  bids  fair  to  remain  in  perpetuity  the  supply  point  for 
nearly  the  entire  State  of  Oregon,  for  a large  part  of  Washington  and  for 
portions  of  Idaho  and  Northern  California.  By  reason  of  accumulated 
capital  and  well-planned  lines  of  transportation,  we  are  also  in  a posi- 
tion to  bid  for  our  share  of  the  trade  of  Montana,  Idaho,  Northern 
Washington,  British  Columbia  an*d  Alaska.  Our  commerce  with  China, 
Japan  and  the  Sandwich  Islands  will  sooner  or  later  assume  large  pro- 
portions and  build  up  our  shipping  interests.  The  mineral  deposits  of 
the  mountain  regions  which  separate  the  various  bodies  of  agricultural 
land,  within  the  territory  above  described,  are  destined  to  become  a 
source  of  wealth. 

Among  the  larger  towns  and  cities  in  the  valley,  we  have  Salem,  the 
Capital  of  the  State,  about  fifty  miles  from  Portland,  having  a popula- 
tion of  about  7,500  people  ; Albany,  seventy-nine  miles  from  Portland, 
is  a beautiful  city  of  3,000  inhabitants  ; Eugene  City  with  about  2,400 
people,  is  one  of  the  thrifty,  enterprising  cities  of  the  valley.  In  south- 
ern Oregon,  we  have  Roseburg,  seat  of  Douglas  County,  1,300  people  ; 
Jacksonville,  seat  of  Jackson  County,  1,200  people  ; Ashland  in  the  same 
county,  with  about  1,400  people  ; Grant’s  Pass,  Medford,  Oakland  and 
other  places.  On  the  West  side  of  the  river  we  have  Hillsboro  with 
about  1,300  people  ; Dallas,  Polk  County,  with  a population  of  1,000  per- 
sons ; McMinnville  with  about  1,200  people  ; Corvallis,  a bright,  thrify 
city  of  about  2,000  inhabitants,  and  a number  of  other,  and  smaller  towns. 
In  the  Eastern  section  of  the  State  we  have  The  Dalles,  with  a popula- 
tion of  about  3,500  ; Baker  City,  1,800  ; Pendleton,  2,500  ; Union,  1,000. 
At  the  mouth  of  the  Columbia  we  have  Astoria,  aptly  called  the  Ven- 
ice of  America  ; a city  of  some  8,000  people,  enterprising,  energetic,  and 
the  seaport  town  of  the  State. 


OREGON  AS  IT  IS. 


31 


THE  TOURIST  ■>  OKI>GO\. 

It  is  sometimes  asked,  what  have  you  to  offer  the  tourist  and  pleasure 
seeking  traveler  in  Oregon?  Much.  Indeed,  Oregon  has  more  than 
r r ! are  of  pleasant  and  picturesque  summer  resorts;  places  where  the 
• n or  the  traveler  in  pursuit  of  pleasure  and  recreation  will  sojourn 
ne  season  and  part  with  reluctantly.  Along  a Pacific  Ocean 
..st  line  of  nearly  800  miles,  and  within  easy  and  inexpensive  traveling 
distance,  of  the  central  portions  of  the  State,  we  have  a score  or  two  of 
k.cse  summer  resorts,  where  there  is  an  inspiration  in  the  air,  and  where 
comforts  and  conveniences  of  all  kinds  may  be  found,  at  ordinary  rates 
of  living.  What  with  variety  of  pastoral  scenery;  extent  of  our  forests; 
noblene  ss  of  rivers,  grandeur  of  snow-shrouded  mountain  peaks  and 
verdure-clothed  hills;  richness  of  color;  a flora  that  is  rich  beyond  com- 
parison; a fauna  that  is  strange  and  interesting,  and  a climate  which  for 
serenity  and  evenness  has  no  equal  in  America,  and  all  within  reach  of 
the  tourist,  there  is  enough  to  captivate  his  fancy,  and  to  lure  the  inva- 
lid, artist  or  scientist  from  chamber,  studio  or  laboratory.  It  is  no  wild 
exaggeration  or  fancy  to  say,  that  so  far  as  the  scenery  of  this  domain  is 
concerned,  it  is  one  of  the  grandest  portions  of  the  globe.  Nature  has 
showered  her  blessings  of  this  kind  with  a lavish  hand. 

Oregon  Trees. 

Doubtless  intending  settlers  will  be  interested  in  knowing  something 
of  the  trees  growing  in  this  State.  Among  the  most  valuable  we  have 
the  spruce,  rising  to  a height  of  200  feet,  and  often  200  inches  in  diam- 
eter. Then  the  sugar  pine,  also  very  large.  The  silver  pine,  common 
pine,  black  pine,  larch,  thick-barked  cedar,  redwood,  hemlock,  white  fir, 
common  cedar,  vine  maple,  wild  cherry,  choke  cherry,  seamberry  or 
squawberry,  crab-apple,  large-leaved  maple,  chittimwood  or  bearberry, 
live  oak,  myrtle,  white  oak,  black  oak,  birch,  alder,  willow,  balm,  yew, 
juniper,  elder,  black  haw,  service  berry,  laurel,  madrone,  Oregon  ash  and 
manzanita. 

SIJMMARIZmi,}. 

The  intending  immigrant,  whether  he  comes  from  the  overcrowded 
districts  of  our  States,  or  from  the  old  country,  has  only  to  study  through 
these  pages  to  ascertain  just  what  this  state  has  to  offer  him.  What  he 
reads  is  accurate  and  wholly  trustworthy  in  every  particular;  and  is 
easily  substantiated  by  facts  here  on  the  ground.  If  he  comes  here  to 
farm  in  a general  way,  to  raise  stock,  to  mine,  to  establish  new  industries, 
he  will  find  just  the  surroundings  and  inducements  he  has  in  view. 
Our  lands  with  their  productiveness  will  reward  him  as  a farmer.  Ev- 
erything in  the  way  of  soil  and  climate,  market  and  transportation  will 
meet  his  views.  Here  is  a broad  open  field  of  occupation  for  those  who 
toil  for  a competency.  If  he  is  a tradesman  and  has  a little  capital,  here 


32 


OREGON  AS  IT  IS. 


is  a wide  field  for  him  to  choose  from.  If  he  seeks  Government,  or  rail- 
way, or  State  lands,  now  is  the  time  to  come  and  make  his  selection. 
Each  season  the  limits  of  such  lands  are  narrowing,  and  localities  near 
towns  and  railways  settling  up.  With  a State  offering  the  potent  in- 
ducements of  an  equable  climate,  an  unmatched  soil,  splendid  timber 
land,  the  best  of  water  in  natural  streams  and  in  wells,  the  highest 
grade  of  educational  institutions,  a dominant  church  interest,  conven- 
ient markets,  the  permanent  population  of  this  part  of  Oregon,  com- 
posed as  it  is  of  the  best  material,  will  most  cordially  welcome  that  in 
immigration  which  will  add  to  the  moral,  social  and  financial  status,  to 
the  force  that,  is  to  develop  the  limitless  resources  of  this  vast  domain. 
Immigration  that  will  be  materially  felt  in  this  direction  will  be  most 
welcome.  There  is  neither  welcome  nor  room  in  Oregon  for  wit-living 
representatives  or  the  man  whose  lack  of  perseverence  and  energy  ren- 
ders him  dissatisfied  with  even  the  best  natural  locations,  and  whose 
motto  is  “Further  on,”  That  sort  of  a “poor  man”  is  of  no  practical 
value.  He  need  not  apply.  It  might  be  well  to  add  here  that  just  now 
the  inducements  for  professional  men,  mechanics  or  laboring  men,  un- 
less they  come  supplied  with  money  to  create  for  themselves  opportuni- 
ties for  employment,  are  not  such  as  will  warrant  their  coming.  During 
the  last  two  years  there  has  been  a steady  increase  in  the  number  of 
these  classes,  and  they  have  fully  occupied  the  field,  for  the  present  at 
least.  For* the  capitalist  or  the  farmer  there  is  room  and  a cordial  wel- 
come. 

OREGON  BY  COUNTIES. 

Western  Oregon 

Comprises  that  part  of  the  State  bounded  on  the  North  by  the  Colum- 
bia River,  on  the  South  by  the  Calapooia  spur  which  unites  the  Coast 
and  Cascade  ranges,  East,  by  the  Cascade  range,  and  West  by  the  Paci- 
fic ocean.  This  area  contains  about  5,000,000  acres.  Not  only  do  the 
physical  features  and  characteristics  of  Western  Oregon  make  it  to  the 
eye  of  the  tourist  an  attractive  country,  but  no  section  of  America  affords 
a better  proportion  of  timber,  water,  meadow,  up-land  and  plain  lands 
for  the  use  of  mixed  husbandry.  Certainly  no  where  else  on  the  conti- 
nent has  nature  more  lavishly  combined  the  elements  of  beauty  and 
utility,  and  left  so  little  for  man  to  complete  in  order  to  realize  his  ideal 
of  an  earthly  abiding  place.  In  all  portions  of  Western  Oregon  the  set- 
tler find’s  a gently  rolling  surface,  with  a soil  of  exhaustless  fertility,  and 
quite  all  of  the  conditions  he  would  ha\e  chosen  in  creating  a home. 
That  any  one  should  search  further  can  only  be  ascribed  to  that  sense- 
less and  unappeasable  rage  of  going  somewhere  else. 

At  Portland,  which  is  at  once  the  gateway  or  vestibule  into  this  grand 
section  of  country,  the  immigrant  enters  upon  a stretch  of  territory  em- 
bracing, perhaps,  the  largest  body  of  continuous  rich  land  on  the  conti- 


OREGON  AH  IT  IS. 


33 


nent.  As  we  have  said,  he  will  find  it  rich  in-  all  that  pertains  to  agri- 
cultural resources, in  its  cultivated  and  uncultivated  lands,  and  no  mat- 
ter at  what  day  or  week  or  season  of  the  year  he  comes  upon  it.  there  will 
be  no  uncomforable  suspicion  that  it  is  a little  too  near  the  north  or  the 
south  pole,  and  he  will  never,  under  any  circumstances,  have  to  become 
an  apologist  for  the  weather,  nor  burdened  with  any  responsibility  for  its 
unseasonable  peculiarities. 

9 

MULTNOMAH 

County,  of  which  Portland  is  the  seat,  has  no  very  extensive  area  of 
farming  land,  though  all,  at  all  susceptible  of  cultivation,  is  exceedingly 
rich  soil  ; the  best  grades  of  bottom  land,  suitable  for  gardening  and 
dairy  purposes.  Most  of  the  land  in  Multnomah  County  is  heavily  tim- 
bered, Along  the  Columbia  River  there  are  some  very  fine  farms  and 
farming  lands,  and  perhaps  no  land  in  the  State  is  more  profitably 
worked.  Much  of  this  land  is  in  the  market,  and  the  immigrant  with 
means  may  very  happily  locate  himself.  In  the  hill  lands  south  and  west 
of  the  city  there  are  some  excellent  lands  for  small  farming,  chicken 
ranches  and  the  like.  The  city  furnishes  a continuously  good  market 
for  everything  produced. 

WASHINGTON  COUNTY. 

Adjoins  Multnomah  on  the  West,  and  at  one  time  both  were  known  as 
Washington,  Multnomah  having  been  created  out  of  Washington.  It  is, 
like  the  rest  of  the  valley  counties,  an  agricultural  section,  and  has  some 
of  the  finest  farms  in  the  State,  which  are  stocked  with  thoroughbred 
horses  and  cattle.  Washington  County  is  not  as  extensive  as  some  of 
the  other  valley  counties,  but  fully  as  productive.  Like  most  of  the  valley 
counties  it  has  been  of  late  years  almost  wholly  devoted  to  wheat  growing. 
These  matters  have  changed  somewhat  recently,  and  a more  diversified 
system  of  farming  has  supplanted  the  old  way  of  doing  things.  In  the 
course  of  a few  years  Washington  County  will  furnish  Portland  markets 
with  a large  share  of  fruit,  and  dairy  products.  The  principal  town  in 
the  county  is  Hillsboro,  the  county  seat,  while  Cornelius  and  Forest 
Grove,  all  within  a distance  of  six  miles,  are  busy  places,  Cornelius  is 
one  of  the  best  wheat-shipping  points  on  the  Oregon  Central  railroad, 
while  Forest  Grove  receives  much  of  its  support  from  the  excellent 
school  at  that  place,  under  charge  of  the  Congregational  denomination. 
It  is  one  of  the  oldest  institutions  of  learning  in  our  State,  and  has  many 
of  its  graduates  scattered  over  the  northwest.  There  are  other  towns  of 
minor  importance  in  the  county.  Tualatin,  Beaverton,  Middleton,  Gas- 
ton, Greenville,  and  Glencoe — all  good  business  points.  The  towns  are 
all  supported  from  the  agricultural  resources  of  the  county,  as  there  are 
no  manufacturing  enterprises  of  note  in  operation.  In  Washington 
County  there  are  many  cultivated  farms  offered  for  sale,  in  whole  or  in 
part,  and  some  considerable  land  open  for  settlement. 


34 


OREGON  AS  IT  IS. 


CLACKAMAS  COUNTY. 

This  county  joins  Multnomah  on  the  south,  and  has  an  area  of  about 
1500  square  miles.  It  is  one  of  the  oldest  settled  counties  in  the  State. 
About  three-quarters  of  the  1,054,000  acres  in  Clackamas  county  may  be 
classed  as  agricultural  land  of  the  best  grade.  There  is  about  325,00* 
acres  of  this  county  that  has  passed  into  private  hands.  There  is  about 

50.000  acres  of  this  amount  that  is  owned  by  the  Oregon  and  California 
Railroad  Company.  There  is  probably  about  22,000  acres  of  school 
lands  in  this  county  now  owned  by  the  State  of  Oregon.  This  would 
make  the  amount  of  land  that  has  already  passed  from  the  control  oi 
the  General  Government  into  the  hands  of  the  State  and  private  indi- 
viduals 340,000  acres. 

This  last  amount  deducted  from  the  number  of  acres  of  land  in  Clack 
amas  county  would  leave  in  jbhe  hands  of  the  General  Government  aboiv 

700.000  acres,  of  which  amount  there  is  at  least  350,000  acres  that  ii 
well  adapted  to  settlement,  and,  when  once  put  in  cultivation,  will  b< 
fully  equal  to  many  of  the  oldei  settled  places  of  the  county.  The  las 
named  amount  of  land  is  subject  to  homestead  and  pre-emption  settle 
ment.  The  aggregate  valuation  of  all  property  in  this  county,  for  the  yea 
1884,  real  and  personal,  is  about  S3, 000, 000.  The  State  tax  for  said  yea 
was  five  and  a half  mills  on  the  dollar;  county  tax,  ten  mills  on  the  do! 
lar  ; public  school  tax,  three  mills  on  the  dollar.  On  almost  every  quar 
ter  section  of  land  living  water  of  pure,  limpid  quality  is  found, 

Some  portions  there  are  heavily  timbered,  yet  there  are  large  tract 
where  the  timber  is  not  thick  or  dense.  The  land  may  properl; 
be  called  hilly,  some  portions  quite  broken.  The  timber  most  commo: 
is  fir,  of  the  several  varieties  (red,  white  and  yellow).  Along  the  stream 
cedar,  ash  and  maple  abound.  In  the  mountain  spruce,  hemlock  an 
larch  are  found.  As  will  be  seen  from  the  above  list,  the  prevailing  foi 
est  trees  are  resinous  and  evergreen,  some  of  which  grow  to  the  lieigli 
of  300  or  400  feet,  and  from  8 to  12  feet  in  diameter. 

Oregon  City,  the  county  seat,  situated  at  the  falls  of  the  Willamett 
River,  is  healthful  and  has  a water-power  unsurpassed  in  the  know 
world.  A view  of  these  falls  may  be  seen  on  page  2 of  this  book. 

Iron  ore  is  found  on  both  banks  of  the  Willamette  River  between  Or< 
gon  City  and  Portland,  also  in  various  other  parts  of  the  county  in  pra< 
ticallv  unlimited  quantity. 

Limestone  and  coal  are  also  found  along  the  foothills  uf  the  Cascad 
Mountains.  The  limestone  is  of  a fair  quality. 

While  the  Willamette  and  Clackamas  swarm  with  salmon,  the  brool 
and  creeks  are  full  of  the  smaller  fish,  of  which  the  most  desirabl 
as  well  as  the  most  abundant,  is  the  far-famed  speckled  trout. 


OREGON  AS  IT  IS. 


35 


MARION  COUNTY 

Is  on  the  east  side  of  the  Willamette  River,  and  south  of  Clackamas.  It 
is  the  first  in  the  list  of  agricultural  counties.  It  is  bounded  on  the 
north  by  the  Willamette  River  and  Butte  Creek,  which  separates  it 
from  Clackamas  County;  on  the  east  by  Clackamas  County  and  the  Cas- 
cade Mountains,  which  separate  it  from  Wasco  County;  on  the  north  by 
the  Santiam  River  and  the  North  Fork  of  the  Santiam,  separating  it  from 
Linn  County;  and  on  the  west  by  the  Willamette  River.  Rich  in  its 
agricultural  resources,  in  its  cultivated  and  uncultivated  lands,  in  its 
water  powers  and  minerals;  rich  in  its  colleges  and  schools  of  learning, 
and  a climate  unsurpassed  for  its  salubrity,  it  presents  to  the  immigrant 
from  the  overcrowded  States,  who  comes  to  the  Coast  with  some  means, 
superior  advantages.  The  productiveness  of  the  soil  is  marvelous  to 
those  who  are  accustomed  to  the  small  crops  of  the  East.  With  good 
cultivation,  forty  bushels  of  wheat  to  the  acre  can  be  readily  secured.  A 
large  percentage  of  that  grown  is  white  wheat,  and  the  berry  is  large 
and  plump,  often  weighing  sixty-four  pounds  to  the  measured  bushel. 
Fruits  of  all  kinds  that  grow  in  the  temperate  zones  are  at  home  here. 

There  are  two  main  divisions,  the  mountain  and  the  valley.  The  latter 
extends  from  the  Willamette  River  to  the  foot  of  the  Cascade  Mountains, 
a distance  of  about  fifteen  miles. 

The  mountainous  portion  contains  some  fourteen  townships.of  mostly 
unsurveyed  land,  lying  in  a strip  twelve  miles  north  and  south  by  forty 
miles  east  and  west,  and  comprises  all  classes  of  land,  from  rich  narrow 
valleys  in  the  passes,  up  through  all  the  grades  of  rolling,  hilly  and 
broken,  to  that  of  rock-bound  canyons  and  inaccessable  craggy  peaks. 
It  is  generally  heavily  timbered,  and  in  the  near  future  will  be  valuable 
for  its  lumber  supplies.  Beyond  the  bottom  the  land  rises  in  some 
places  gradually,  in  others  abruptly  some  fifty  feet,  and  extends  for  a 
distance  of  fifteen  miles  to  the  south  in  a level  plain.  There  is  generally 
a skirting  of  timber  land  on  the  edge  of  the  plain,  from  one  to  two 
miles  in  width;  then  it  opens  out  into  a low  level  prairie.  The  entire 
county  is  splendidly  watered. 

As  a stock  county,  Marion  is  good.  Horses,  cattle,  sheep  and  swine 
are  almost  free  from  disease,  and  the  mildness  of  the  climate  and  pro- 
ductiveness of  the  soil  renders  their  raising  a matter  of  comparatively 
little  expense. 

Land  in  Marion  County  can  be  purchased  at  prices  varying  from  $4.50 
to  $30  per  acre.  The  cheap  lands,  however,  are  in  the  foothill  portions 
of  the  county,  and  requires  considerable  labor  to  bring  into  profitable 
cultivation.  The  valley  lands  can  be  purchased  for  $10  per  acre  up- 
wards. An  immigrant  with  means  can  find  land  to  suit  him  in  the  county 
at  not  unreasonable  figures. 

The  tax  levy  for  the  current  year  is  fourteen  mills,  being  lower  than 
any  other  county  in  the  State. 


OREGON  AS  IT  IS. 


36 


The  Willamette  River,  with  two  lines  of  railroad  running  the  entire 
length  of  the  county  from  north  to  south,  gives  the  producer  and  mer- 
chant ample  facilities  to  reach  Portland  markets. 

Salem,  the  Capital  of  the  State,  is  in  this  county,  and  is  the  most 
handsomely  laid  out  town  in  the  State.  The  private  and  public  build- 
ings reflect  great  credit  upon  its  citizens,  and  give  evidence  of  the  confi- 
dence which  the  people  have  in  the  future  of  the  place. 

The  trade  of  the  county  is  divided  with  the  various  towns,  the  princi- 
pal one  being  Gervias,  which  has  grown  up  since  1870.  Silverton,  on 
the  Narrow  Gauge  Railroad,  has  long  been  one  of  the  principal  business 
points  in  the  county  outside  of  Salem,  and  since  the  construction  of  the 
railroad  it  has  improved  very  rapidly.  We  have  also  Jefferson,  Marion 
Turner,  Brooks,  Woodburn,  Aurora  and  Hubbard,  on  the  Oregon  and 
California  Railroad.  Aurora  was  originally  settled  by  a German  colony, 
and  has  become  one  of  the  most  active  and  business-like  points  in  the 
county.  We.  also  have,  on  the  Willamette  River,  St.  Louis,  St.  Paul, 
Champoeg,  Fairfield,  Butteville  and  Wilsonville,  while  Stayton  is  on  the 
Narrow  Gauge  Railroad. 

The  water-power  of  Salem  is  the  best  in  the  State.  Salem  homes  are, 
as  a general  thing,  well  spread  out,  the  lots  being  usually  62^x125  feet 
large,  giving  them  attractive  lawns  and  fertile  garden  spots.  To  those 
who  desire  a most  healthful  and  pleasant  climate,  with  fine  lands  at 
prices  as  above,  Marion  county  offers  them  superior  inducements  ; or  if 
they  seek  a locality  for  fruit  growing,  for  stock  raising,  for  a dairy  busi- 
ness for  lumbering  or  flouring  mills,  or  for  any  other  branch  of  industry 
or  manufacturing,  this  county  offers  extraordinary  advantages. 

YAMHILL  COUNTY. 


The  land  of  this  county,  and  the  inducements  to  immigrants,  are 
among  the  best  in  the  State.  It  lies  south  of  Washington,  and  between 
the  Coast  Range  and  the  Willamette  River.  It  is  an  agricultural  county. 
It  is  one  of  the  most  thickly  settled  counties  in  the  State,  and  to-day  has 
within  its  boundaries  more  of  the  early  pioneers  than  any  other.  It  is 
connected  with  Portland  by  river  and  railroad  facilities,  and  has  better 
transportation  facilities  to  market,  as  a whole,  than  any  conn  y in  e 
State  The  Yamhill  River  and  Willamette  are  both  at  its  command, 
while  it  has  the  Oregon  Central  and  narrow  gauge  running  through  dif- 
ferent parts  of  the  rich  agricultural  section.  ,,  ....  , 

The  surface  of  Yamhill  is,  in  the  main,  gently  rolling,  the  hil  , 
their  very  summits,  producing  magnificent  crops  of  wheat,  ' which^  fo 
excellence  of  quality,  is  not  surpassed  anywhere  in  the  world.  Yamhil 
has  more  pasture  land  than  Washington,  and  much  more  stock;  but 
latter  is  not  of  such  high  grade.  Wheat  and  stock  raising  are  the  chie. 
industries.  As  a people,  the  residents  of  Yamhill  are  unusually  pros 
perous.  In  no  other  county  is  the  average  of  wealth  so  gi  eat.  Ihe 


OREGON  AS  IT  IS. 


37 


are  in  Yamliill  at  least  fifty  farmhouses  with  all  the  modern  conveniences, 
and,  in  fact,  all  the  luxuries  of  city  homes.  Houses  costing  $5000  and 
upwards  are  common  throughout  the  county,  and  well  built  and  filled 
barns  attest  the  general  thrift.  Schools  are  maintained  in  every  district. 
There  is  some  land  open  for  settlement  in  this  county,  and  the  new- 
comer will  have  no  difficulty  in  getting  improved  land  at  what  he  is 
likely  to  consider  extremely  reasonable  rates. 

Lafayette  is  the  county  seat,  which  is  located  on  the  banks  of  the 
Yamhill,  about  fifteen  miles  from  the  Willamette,  and  the  narrow  gauge 
railroad  runs  through  the  town,  and  is  but  two  miles  from  the  Oregon 
Central  Railroad. 

McMinnville  is  the  principal  town  in  the  county,  located  on  the  Yam- 
hill River,  and  also  on  the  Oregon  Central  Railroad.  It  is  a beautiful 
little  town,  surrounded,  like  Lafayette,  with  the  finest  of  agricultural 
lands.  The  McMinnville  College,  an  old  and  very  excellent  establish- 
ment, is  located  here  and  has  a large  number  of  students,  whose  pres- 
ence gives  the  town  a very  pleasant  social  activity. 

Dayton  is  a river  point,  and  the  terminus  on  the  Yamhill  River  of  the 
narrow  gauge  railroad,  which  runs  through  the  southern  part  of  Yam-  - 
hill  county  and  the  northern  part  of  Polk.  It  differs  not  from  any  other 
points  in  its  vicinity,  being  the  seat  of  a steady  local  trade.  1 • 

Amity  and  the  various  other  points  are  thrifty  local  centers-.  - 1 ' ; 

• > ' ' , h r < til  ’<  rrij  i > * <-»  * ! t i i 1 -'!i'  • 

TjINN  county. 


This  county  joins  Marion  on  the  sohtli.  Although  not  one  of  the 
largest  in  the  State,  is,  in  fact,  the  seventh  in  size.  It  is  BOO  square  miles 
larger  than  the  State  of  Delaware.  It  is  twice  as  large  as  Rhode  Island, 
and  more  than  half  as  large  as  Massachusetts.  Agriculturally  Speak- 
ing, it  is  one  of  the  finest  counties  iii  the  State.  It  is  bounded  oh  the 
north  by  the  Santiam  River,  which  separates  it  from  Marion  county  ; on 


r )•; . ? 

I Hr/ 
ml* 


the  east  by  the  Central  ridge  of  the  Cascade  Mountains,  which  abound  , 
in  inexhaustible  forests  of  the  finest  fir,  pine,  spruce,  hemlock  and  cedar, 
and  contains  untold  wealth  in  the  form  of  mines  of  lead,  cinnabar,  silver 
and  gold.' ; on  the  south  by  Lane  county,  and  on  the  west  by  the  Willam- 
ette River,  wliicfi  is  navigable  from  Portland  to  Albany,  the  county  seat 
» j/u  if  fcttfw  I U- Hi?ii  . J ba  ■ ■ a 

of  the  county,  the  whole  year  round. 

The  eastern  portion  of  the  county  includes  the  western  slope  of  the 
Cascade  Mountains,  which  gently  descend  into  > a very  fertile  range  of 
foothills,  well  adapted  to  agriculture,  fruit  growing  and  stock  raising. 

The  farms  among  these  foothills  generally  yield  from  twenty-five  to 
forty  and  fifty  bushels  to  the  acre  of  the  finest  wheat  in  the  world.  The 
occupation  of  the  people  in  this  region  is  chiefly  farming,  stock  raising, 

, , , • mi  i n . . C rt  , . ” ■ 

and  lumbering.  The  many  streams  flowing  m from  the  mountains,  and 

the  rich  forests  of  timber  standing  on  their  banks,  make  it  almost  possi-  . 

1 1 i . , • • , ■ . iMi  od  of 

ble  to  erect  and  successfully  operate  a sawmill  on  nearly  every  section 

of  land. 


38 


OREGON  AS  IT  IS. 


Most  of  the  prairie  land  in  Linn  county,  and,  in  fact,  all  the  land  in 
the  neighborhood  of  the  railroad,  is  in  the  hands  of  individuals  who  ask 
high  prices— from  $15  to  $80  per  acre;  but  there  are  fine  locations  in  the 
foothills  which  may  be  takeu  up  at  the  cheap  State  and  Government  rate 
under  the  land  laws  or  bought  from  the  railroad  company.  The  lands 
in  question  are  of  four  classes  -government,  railroad,  state  and  unb 
versity — and  they  may  be  obtained  cheaply  and  on  easy  terms.  It  is 
finely  watered  by  many  streams  all  through  it. 

The  county  being  in  close  proximity  to  two  mountain  ranges,  its 
climate  is  mild  and  delightful  both  in  winter  or  summer.  On  any  of 
the  land  in  this  county  are  produced  in  great  abundance  apples,  plums, 
prunes,  strawberries,  cherries,  blackberries,  pears,  and  in  places  peaches 
and  grapes  are  produced  in  immense  quantities. 

The  strip  of  foothills  varies  from  ten  to  fifteen  miles  in  width  and  in 
extent  the  entire  distance  across  the  country  from  north  to  south.  Run- 
ning along  parallel,  and  in  close  proximity  to  this  range  of  hills,  is  a 
line  of  railroad  called  the  Oregonian  Railway  (limited).  It  is  a narrow- 
gauge,  and  affords  ample  means  for  travel  and  trans  ortation.  This 
strip  of  country  is  very  healthy,  and  such  things  as  chills  and  fevers  are 
rarely  if  ever  known  there. 

The  remaining  portion  of  the  county,  lying  west  of  the  foothill  coun- 
try and  bounded  on  the  west  by  the  Willamette  river,  is  mostly  prairie 
land.  The  population  of  the  county  is  about  16,000.  Any  man  of  small 
or  large  means  can  locate  in  Linn  county  to  good  advantage,  and  be 
surrounded  by  a good  class  of  people,  have  the  best  of  schools,  all  social 
and  church  privileges.  Albany,  a city  of  3,000  people,  is  a busy  city. 
Brownsville,  Lebanon,  Halsey  and  Harrisburg  are  thriving  towns,  each 
with  its  share  of  local  business.  The  Brownsville  Woolen  Mill  is  one  of 
the  best  manufacturing  establishments  in  the  state. 

LANE  COUNTY 

Lies  south  of  and  adjoins  Linn  County.  From  the  ocean  to  the  Cascade 
range  across  this  county  it  is  120  miles.  The  county  embraces  120  town- 
ships, two-thirds  of  which  land  is  susceptible  of  the  highest  cultivation. 
It  is  a rich  county,  and  one  of  the  best  in  the  State.  Its  industries  are 
confined  to  farming  and  stock-raising.  The  agricultural  lands  are  un- 
surpassed in  their  fertility,  while  the  rolling  hills  are  luxuriant  pastures 
for  the  many  cattle  and  sheep.  A considerable  portion  of  the  county  is 
rough  and  mountainous,  but  even  its  highest  points  are  available  for 
pasturage,  which  is  green  and  good  the  whole  year  through.  Hops  and 
wheat  are  the  chief  products  of  the  county.  Wool,  too,  is  grown,  but 
not  in  such  quantity  as  would  naturally  be  expected  in  a country  so  well 
adapted  for  sheep.  The  opportunities  for  enterprise  in  this  line  are 
fine.  Good  sheep  ranches  may  be  bought  cheap,  and  the  outside  ranges 
to  be  had  for  nothing,  is  as  wide  as  could  be  desired. 


f 


OREGON  AS  IT  IS. 


39 


An  important  and  rich  section  of  ‘ Lane  county  lies  along  the  coast. 
The  Siuslaw  River,  a fine  stream,  puts  into  the  ocean  at  the  western  ex- 
treme of  the  county,  and  along  its  valleys  there  are  large  tracts  of  ex- 
cellent. land.  About  fifty  families  have  settled  there  within  the  past  five 
years,  and  the  section  is  certain,  in  a short  time,  to  become  well  popula- 
ted. The  Siuslaw  river  is  easily  entered  by  schooners. 

Lane  County  offers  a field  for  more  varied  industry  than  any  other  of 
the  western  Oregon  counties.  The  grain  farmer,  the  stock-raiser,  the 
wool-grower,  the  hop-grower,  the  lumberman,  the  dairyman  and  a score 
of  others  find  the  conditions  of  their  various  occupations  at  hand  ; while 
the  comparative  cheapness  of  land,  its  fine  character  and  a climate  some- 
what more  genial  than  that  of  the  northern  counties,  are  potent  induce- 
mental.  The  county  is  gradually  receiving  an  excellent  class  of  new- 
comers, and  as  a consequence,  business  of  every  kind  is  prosperous. 

Eugene  City  the  county  seat,  is  located  about  the  center  of  the  county, 
and  was  founded  by  that  old  and  much  respected  pioneer,  Eugene  F. 
Skinner,  who  first  settled  on  the  place  in  1845,  and  died  there  in  1865. 
The  town  is  surrounded  by  hills  on  each  side,  the  grandest  and  most  beau- 
tiful being  Spencer  Butte,  which  stands  about  six  miles  southwest  of  the 
town.  It  is  a healthy  place,  most  beautifully  located,  and  has  prospered 
in  the  past  and  kept  pace  with  the  advancement  of  the  State.  It  has  the 
constant  attractions  of  cheerful  and  beautiful  scenery,  and  of  location 
near  the  river  ; and  during  the  summer  months  it  enjoys  the  wholesome 
“ ventilation”  of  the  ocean  breeze.  Its  streets  are  regularly  laid  out,  and 
are  better  shaded  than  those  of  any  other  city  in  the  State,  The  State 
University  is  the  chief  distinction  of  Eugene  and  a great  feature  in  its 
social  life.  From  it  the  place  tales  a high  moral  and  intellectual  tone^ 
and  this  is  an  advantage  it  will  always  enjoy.”  The  population  of  Eu- 
gene City  is  about  1,600,  and  its  business  is  that  of  a thrifty  country 
center. 

BENTON  COUNTY. 

This  county  is  sixty  miles  wide  and  forty  long,  extending  east  and  west 
from  the  Willamette  River  to  the  Pacific  Ocean.  It  contains  1110  square 
miles  of  area,  and  has  a population  of  about  9000.  Its  eastern  third  is 
level  alternate  prairie  and  light  black  land,  and  the  remainder  is  tim- 
bered hill  land,  admirably  adapted  for  pasture.  The  level  land  of  Ben- 
ton is  almost  exactly  like  the  level  lands  of  the  other  westside  counties. 
It  is  well  watered  and  timbered,  rich  in  soil — in  short,  a farmer’s  para- 
dise. It  is  thickly  settled,  and  has  been  for  many  years,  and  its  princi- 
pal product  is  wheat.  Stock,  vegetables,  fruit,  etc.,  are  grown  here  as  in 
Yamhill  and  Polk,  but  not  as  an  independent  and  special  crop.  The 
western  or  coast  section  of  Benton  is  a fine  stock  country,  but  it  is 
scarcely  occupied  at  all.  The  hills,  originally  covered  with  dense  forests, 
have  been  burned  over,  and  are  now  comparatively  open.  The  debris  of 


40 


OREGON  AS  IT  IS. 


the  burned  trees  rests  and  has  enriched  the  soil  to  a highly  productive 
state,  and  peculiarly  adapted  it  for  the  various  “ tame  ” grasses.  The 
hills  are  seamed  with  creek  and  river  bottoms,  which  yield  hay,  or,  in 
fact,  anything  planted,  in  great  abundance.  The  climate  is  a softened, 
open  climate,  and  the  extremes  of  heat  and  cold  are  not  known.  Snows 
are  rare,  and  never  lie  on  the  ground  more  than  two  days  together.  Ben- 
ton has  a fair  share  of  coast  country,  and  a natural  harbor  at  Yaquina 
Bay.  Its  western  part,  particularly  the  Yaquina  country,  is  rapidly  fill- 
ing up  with  immigrants. 

The  price  of  land  varies  from  SI. 25  per  acre  (Government  price)  to 
$30,  according  to  locality;  but  good  farms,  well  improved,  can  be  bought 
at  $10,  $12,  $15  and  $20  per  acre.  The  number  of  farms  in  the  county 
is  about  1000:  the  value  of  the  improved  land  over  $180,000;  the  value 
of  the  farms  and  improvements,  including  buildings  and  fences,  $3,300,- 
900;  the  value  of  all  farm  productions  for  the  year  last  past,  about 
$850,000. 

The  leading  industries  of  the  county  are  farming  and  stock  raising. 
The  yield  of  wheat  generally  is  about  twenty-five  bushels  to  the  acre, 
that  of  oats  about  forty.  The  surplus  of  wheat  shipped  from  the  county 
last  year  was  about  300,000  bushels.  Corvallis  is  the  county  seat,  a 
bright,  thrifty  city  of  about  2000  people.  It  is  pleasantly  situated  on 
the  west  bank  of  the  Willamette  River,  on  a beautiful  plateau,  one  and 
a half  miles  wide,  entirely  above  high  water.  For  beautiful  location, 
healthfulness,  even  temperature  of  climate  and  pure  water,  it  is  not 
equaled  in  the  State.  It  is  the  head  of  navigation  on  the  Willamette 
River,  except  at  a very  high  stage  of  water.  It  is  the  present  terminus 
of  the  Oregon  and  California  Railroad,  western  division,  being  ninety- 
seven  miles  from  Portland.  It  is  also  the  present  terminal  point  of  the 
road  running  from  Yaquina  Bay  to  the  east.  Educational  facilities  are 
very  good.  The  State  Agricultural  College^  with  a full  complement  of 
efficient  teachers,  is  situated  at  this  place,  and  in  addition  there  are  two 
district  schools  that  are  well  sustained.  The  town  is  well  supplied  with 
chu  rs,  and  the  morals  of  the  community  are  good. 

Philomath  is  a thriving  place  seven  miles  west  of  Corvallis,  on  the 
line  of  the  Oregon  Pacific  Railroad,  situated  in  a beautiful  and  healthy 
location,  and  surrounded  by  intelligent,  wealthy  farmers,  who  feel  proud 
of  Philomath  College,  an  institution  of  learning  in  their  midst,  under 
the  contrc^l  of  the  United  Brethren  Church. 

Newport  is  also  a thriving  place,  situated  near  the  seacoast,  in  the  most 
westerly  portion  of  Benton  County,  on  the  Yaquina  Bay, 

POLK  county 

Lies  south  of  Yamhill  county,  and,  like  it,  is  located  between  the  Willa- 
mette River  and  the  Coast  Range.  It  has  an  area  of  about  thirty  town- 
ships, equally  divided  between  level  and  rolling  land.  It  is  admirably 
& 


OREGON  AS  IT  IS. 


41 


watered  and  timbered.  The  Luckiamute  River,  a tributary  of  the  Willa- 
mette, is  navigable  for  small  steamers,  and  there  are  many  other  streams 
besides,  which  would  supply  an  almost  unlimited  water  power  to  saw  and 
flouring  mills.  The  West  Side  Division  of  the  Oregon  and  California  Rail- 
road traverses  the  county.  Not  far  from  half  the  county  is  timber  land, 
ash,  maple,  fir,  spruce  and  hemlock  being  the  chief  varieties,  although 
there  is  a great  deal  of  white  oak  as  well. 

Its  eastern  half  is  occupied  by  fine  farms,  is  among  the  best  developed 
sections  in  the  State.  Polk  is  a farming  county,  and  its  industries  are 
all  incidental  to  the  business  of  farming.  There  is  some  stock  raising, 
but  it  is  carried  on  as  part  of  a general  business.  Almost  every  farmer 
has  a few  head  of  cattle  and  horses  and  sheep.  Much  attention  is  paid 
to  blood,  one  of  the  finest  bands  of  sheep  in  the  State  being  on  the  hill 
range  south  and  west  of  Dallas.  The  eastern  or  hilly  section  of  Polk  is 
covered  with  fine  hard  wood  and  fir  trees,  which,  with  the  growing  de- 
mand for  lumber,  must  soon  become  valuable.  The  hilly  land  also 
affords  fine  range,  and  is  specially  adapted  for  sheep  and  pasturage. 
There  is  not  a distinctive  fruit  farm  in  Polk  County,  or,  in  fact,  but  one 
in  all  the  west  side  counties.  Each  farmer  has  from  one  to  five  acres  of 
orchard,  which  receives  but  little  care.  Apples,  pears,  and  small  fruits 
grow  well,  however,  and  now  that  railroads  have  made  it  possible  to 
market  fruit  in  the  fresh  state,  more  attention  Avill  be  paid  to  fruit 
culture. 

The  products  of  the  county  are  wheat,  potatoes,  oa^s,  hops,  cattle, 
hogs,  wool  and  flour.  Apples,  pears,  plums,  cherries,  and  all  sorts  of 
berries  yield  bounteously.  There  is  still  much  good  land  to  be  had  at 
prices  for  unimproved  varying  from  $4.50  to  $10  per  acre.  Dallas,  the 
county  seat,  is  about  fifteen  miles  west  of  the  Willamette  River  at  Salem, 
and  is  a sprightly  inland  town  of  1000  or  more  inhabitants.  Its  busi- 
ness is  that  of  a large  farming  center,  the  various  branches  of  merchan- 
dise being  represented  by  general  and  graded  stores.  It  has  several 
very  substantial  brick  buildings  and  a number  of  really  very  handsome 
residences.  Good  churches  and  schools  maintain  a high  educational 
and  moral  standard.  Independence  is  on  the  Willamette  River,  and  is 
a rival  of  Dallas  for  the  honors  and  advantages  of  the  county  seat.  Its 
location  on  the  line  of  the  Oregon  and  California  Railroad  and  on  the 
river  gives  it  special  advantage  as  a shipping  point,  and  attracts  to  it  a 
great  share  of  the  grain  of  the  country.  Independence  handles  at  least 
one-third  of  the  wheat  grown  in  Polk  County,  and  is  the  center  of  a 
large  trade.  It  has  improved  more  in  the  last  five  years  than  any  other 
town  in  Western  Oregon,  this  improvement  being  due  to  advantage  of 
location  and  to  the  enterprise  of  its  business  men,  who  leave  no  effort 
untried  which  promises  welfare  to  their  town.  Monmouth  is  considera- 
bly smaller  than  either  Dallas  or  Independence,  and  is  a quiet  “ school 


42 


OREGON  AS  IT  IS. 


town.’*  It  enjoys,  however,  a steady  business  from  farmers  near  at  hand. 
Christian  College  is  located  here,  and  attracts  attendance  from  all  parts 
of  the  State. 

CLATSOP  COUNTY 

Is  the  northwestern  county  of  the  State.  The  best  farms  in  Clatsop 
county  are  located  on  Clatsop  Plains,  though  the  nature  of  the  soil  is  not 
favorable  to  the  production  of  the  cereals,  other  thau  wheat.  Clatsop 
county  is  twenty  miles  long  and  has  an  average  width  of  thirty  miles. 
Its  soil  is  a light  loam  and  sand,  easily  cultivated  and  highly  productive. 
Its  climate  is  the  ordinary  climate  of  Western  Oregon  in  Winter,  with  a 
constant  moisture  in  Summer,  which  keeps  its  pastures  always  green. 
Everywhere  it  is  well  watered,  and  timber  in  abundance  borders  the 
eastern  margin.  The  chief  industry  of  Clatsop  Plains  is  that  of  butter 
and  cheese  manufacture.  In  no  locality  in  the  world  are  the  conditions 
for  dairying  more  fortunate  than  here.  An  unfailing  verdure,  a cool  and 
equable  climate,  rich  native  grasses,  abundance  of  pure,  fresh  water, 
nearness  to  market,  all  the  conditions  are  here  in  perfection  and  all  made, 
highly  valuable  by  constant  demand  and  high  prices  for  dairy  products. 

Along  the  tide  lands  and  creek  bottoms,  mentioned  above,  there  are 
large  settlements,  and  all  are  prosperous.  The  conditions  of  life  in 
these  localities  are  not  luxurious,  but  they  are  by  no  means  hard  for 
those  who  have  industry.  Travel  everywhere  is  by  water,  and  settlers 
go  by  steamboats,  or  in  their  own  boats,  propelled  by  sail  or  oar.  Com- 
munication with  the  market  town  of  Astoria  is  cheap  and  easy,  and  the 
residents  think  them^plves  better  oh  than  those  who  must  get  to  market 
by  road  or  rail.  The  products  of  the  country  are  the  general  agricul- 
tural products  of  Western  Oregon.  In  no  county  in  the  State  is  there 
such  variety  of  employment  for  the  wage-worker.  It  is  estimated  that 
a million  and  a half  dollars  is  paid  out  annually  for  labor  in  fishing  and 
logging.  It  is  a commctfi  thing  for  immigrants  to  settle  upon  Govern- 
ment land,  which  may  be  had  for  the  taking,  and  to  work  in  the  fisheries 
in  Summer,  or  the  logging  camps  in  Winter,  the  while  making  such  im- 
provements on  their  settlements  as  they  can.  To  clear  a place  in  the 
timber  is  the  work  of  half  a life-time,  but  it  may  be  done  by  degrees  at 
a comparatively  light  cost.  For  dairying — and  in  this  branch  we  be- 
lieve the  opportunities  are  more  inviting  than  in  any  other— it  is  not 
necessary  to  clear  the  land.  If  it  be  burned  over  thoroughly,  and  grass 
seed  sown  in  the  ashes,  it  yields  fine  green  crops,  Avhich  cattle  easily 
harvest  for  themselves.  Being  near  the  coast,  snows  are  infrequent,  and 
never  lie  longer  than  a few  hours. 

The  mountain  lands  of  Clatsop  county  (and  three-fourths  of  the  county 
is  mountainous),  are  chiefly  valuable  for  their  splendid  forests.  Astoria 
is  at  the  mouth  of  the  Columbia,  and  the  central  figure  in  the  salmon 
fishing  feature  of  the  Northwest.  It  has  a most  healthful  climate,  aud 


43 


OREGON  AS  IT  IS. 

is  sometimes  called  (and  appropriately  enough;  the  Venice  of  America. 
It  is  the  favorite  Summer  resort  of  the  people  of  Western  Oregon.  It  is 
always  in  possession  of  a delightful  sea-breeze,  and  the  hills  in  the  vicin- 
ity are  covered  almost  from  base  to  dome  with  architectural  groupings 
of  earlier  days  and  more  modern  progress.  The  more  even  portion  of 
the  city  is  adorned  with  comfortable  and  well  constructed  homes,  that 
bespeak  comfort,  culture  and  refined  taste  of  their  owners  and  occu- 
pants. The  future  holds  out  bright  promises  for  our  city  by  the  sea. 

Crafts  of  every  description  ply  the  broad  Columbia,  being  the  only 
means  of  transportation  from  and  to  the  surrounding  districts  of  Oregon 
and  Washington  Territory.  Nature  has  done  more  for  the  Venice  of  the 
Northwest  than  any  other  point  on  the  river,  and  it  is  only  a question  of 
time  when  manufacturing  industries  will  take  advantage  of  this  splendid 
location. 

TILLAMOOK  COUNTY 

Is  a narrow  strip  along  the  south  boundary  of  Clatsop  County.  It  is 
about  seventy-five  miles  long  by  thirty  wide.  It  is  one  of  the  isolated 
counties  of  Oregon  and  is  rather  sparcely  settled.  A schooner  freight 
line  has  been  put  into  service  between  the  markets  of  Portland  and 
Astoria,  and  the  trip  is  now  easily  and  quickly  made,  and  rates  for 
freight  and  passage  are  low. 

The  country  is  finely  adapted  to  general  farming,  stock  raising  and 
dairying,  and  the  land  is  literally  “dirt  cheap.”  Two  bays  easily  ap- 
proached from  the  ocean  afford  ample  port  facilities,  and  numerous 
small  rivers  and  inlets  make  transportation  cheap  and  easy.  We  do  not 
believe  that  any  section  of  Oregon  offers  better  advantages  to  the  settler 
of  small  means  than  Tillamook  County.  The  country  is  new,  and  little 
has  been  done  in  the  way  of  school  house  and  church  building,  but  the 
soil  is  rich  and  cheap,  and  the  market  is  not  very  difficult. 

The  timber  of  Tillamook  County  will  be  a source  of  great  wealth 
when  it  shall  be  made  use  of,  and  that  can  not  be  long  delayed. 

. COLUMBIA  COUNTY. 

This  county  hugs  the  Columbia  River,  which  is  its  western  boundary. 
It  is  a mountainous  region  in  its  eastern  half.  But  there  is  a very  large 
domain  along  the  river,  embracing  some  of  the  richest  lands  in  the 
State.  For  fifty  miles  north  from  the  foot  of  Sauvie’s  Island,  along  the 
river,  the  country  is  wooded,  but  not  wholly  with  the  dense  forest 
growth  seen  in  passing  up  and  down  on  the  boats,  and  which  seems  to 
extend  inland  indefinitely.  Each  of  the  many  creeks  which  find  their 
way  into  the  Columbia  drains  a wide  area  of  bottom  land,  generally 
overgrown  with  ash  or  maple,  and  the  higher  lands,  which  no  where  rise 
into  mountainous  dignity,  are  fertile  and  easily  susceptible  of  cultiva- 
tion. These  lands  are  not  attractive  to  general  immigrants  from  prairie 
districts,  but  they  exactly  meet  the  taste  of  comers  from  timbered  coun- 


44 


* 


OREGON  AS  IT  IS. 


tries.  It  costs  more  to  get  a farm  under  way  there  than  in  a prairie  dis- 
trict; but  there  are  many  who  deem  the  special  expense  more  than  com- 
pensated by  the  advantages  of  location  in  ; timbered  region  and  near 
water  transportation  to  market.  The  lands  in  this  river  district  ought 
to  be  public,  but  they  have  been  gobbled  by  speculators  till  nearly  every 
foot  is  owned.  The  greater  part  of  it  is  for  sale  at  about  double  the 
Government  price,  or  $4  per  acre.  They  yield  fruit  and  vegetables  in 
abundance,  and  are  finely  adapted  for  dairying. 

Aside  from  farming  and  stock  raising  and  the  general  tradeswork  nec- 
essary in  every  community,  the  chief  industry  is  logging.  The  heaviest 
logs  are  easily  floated  down  the  creeks  in  the  wet  season,  and  nearly 
every  farmer  is,  to  a greater  or  less  extent,  a logger  also.  Millions  of 
feet  of  timber  are  floated  out  each  year,  and  the  proceeds  of  its  sale  are 
largely  applied  to  the  development  of  the  country.  The  logging  indus- 
try, while  it  cuts  down  the  timber,  helps  clear  the  land,  leaving  it  availa- 
able  for  the  all-the-year-round  pasture  even  before  the  stumps  and  small 
growths  are  removed.  Logging  progresses  at  all  seasons  and  affords 
steady  employment  to  all  who  choose  to  work  at  it  for  wages.  Many 
settlers  put  in  such  time  as  they  can  there  in  opening  their  farms,  and 
earn  their  maintenance  in  the  logging  camp.  Another  industry  which 
engages  men  of  small  capital  and  rewards  them  fairly,  is  that  of  making 
shingles.  There  are,  too,  a few  portable  saw-mills  which  with  the  labor 
of  three  or  four  men  can  cut  three  or  four  thousand  feet  of  cedar  per 
day.  The  resources  of  this  section  in  iron,  coal,  and  water  power,  are 
sufficiently  well  known,  and  in  the  course  of  time  things  will,  without 
doubt,  be  developed.  Columbia  County  possesses  advantages  fully  equal 
to  those  of  any  county  in  the  State,  either  for  the  capitalist  or  the  man 
of  small  means.  As  a dairy  and  market  garden  country  it  can  not  be 
excelled,  and  its  proximity  to  Portland,  coupled  with  cheap  and  ade- 
quate freight  facilities,  particularly  adapt  it  for  these  purposes.  St. 
Helen,  Ranier,  Wertport  and  Columbia  City  are  the  chief  tgwns. 

DOUGLAS  COUNTY 

Lies  in  the  extreme  southern  portion  of  what  we  denominate  Western 
Oregon.  No  region  is  more  pleasantly  situated,  and  no  soil  in  the  State 
is  better  adapted  to  diversified  farming.  The  soil  is  prolific,  of  a deep, 
rich  vegetable  loam,  and  produces  a fairly  wonderful  growth  of  grains, 
fruits  and  vegetables.  The  mineral  wealth  of  the  hill  portions  of  Doug- 
las County  probably  equals  if  it  does  not  exceed  that  of  any  other  county 
in  the  State.  This  and  the  neighboring  county  of  Jackson  produce 
great  crops  of  corn.  A large  portion  of  the  vast  territory  embraced 
within  this  county  remains  unsettled  and  unsurveyed,  and  nearlv  all  of 
it  will  be  valuable,  either  for  timber,  agriculture  or  grazing.  East  of 
Roseburg  is  a vast  section  of  country  undeveloped,  and  we  might  add, 
unexplored,  as  but  little  is  known  of  it.  The  Smith  River  country,  lying 


OREGON  AS  IT  IS. 


45 


north  and  west  of  Drain  station,  is,  perhaps,  the  best  part  of  the  unset- 
tled portion  of  the  county.  The  river  heads  in  the  mountains,  some  fif- 
teen miles  due  north  of  the  town  of  Drain,  and  flows  nearly  due  west  and 
empties  into  the  bay  or  inlet  at  the  mouth  of  the  Umpqua,  two  miles  be- 
low the  town  of  Scottsburg.  The  east  fork,  some  five  or  six  miles  above 
its  junction,  flows  through  a beautiful  level  plain;  from  one-half  to  two 
miles  wide  on  either  side  of  the  stream,  with  small  fir  timber  near  its 
banks,  showing  that  the  country  has  once  been  a burn.  The  land  close 
to  the  banks  of  the  stream  is  higher  than  back  near  the  hills,  where  nu- 
merous prairies  of  swamp  grass,  with  scarce  any  timber,  abound,  some 
of  them  containing  from  fifty  to  fine  hundred  acres  in  a place,  which,  to 
make  them  first-class  farming  lands,  need  nothing  but  a drain  to  the 
river.  From  the  forks  down  to  tide  water,  a distance  of  eighteen  or 
twenty  miles,  the  bottoms  on  each  side  are  similar,  save  that  the  growth 
of  timber  is  larger.  Considerable  logging  has  been  done  on  the  lower 
part  of  the  stream.  The  foot-hills,  or  bench  land  next  to  the  bottoms, 
are  covered  for  nearly  the  entire  length  of  the  river  with  a heavy  growth 
of  large  fir  timber  of  the  best  quality.  The  drifts  have  been  cleared  out 
so  that  saw  logs  can  be  floated  the  entire  length  of  the  stream.  There 
are  numerous  small  streams  flowing  from  the  mountains  on  either  side 
of  the  river,  with  bottoms  in  many  places  sufficiently  wide  to  make  good 
farms.  Within  the  last  year  a number  of  persons  have  settled  on  the 
east  fork  of  this  river,  and  are  about  to  commence  building  a wagon 
road  from  Drain  across  the  mountains  to  their  settlement,  which  will,  in 
time,  be  extended  down  the  river  to  tide  water. 

The  Umpqua  Biver  runs  its  whole  length  through  Douglas  County, 
and  in  its  valleys  are  found  the  best  farming  lands  of  the  county.  The 
general  charactar  of  Douglas  County  is  rolling,  and  it  affords  for  sheep 
the  finest  range  in  the  world.  Not  even  the  famous  highlands  of  Scot- 
land are  better  adapted  for  the  production  of  fine  and  firm  wools.  The 
climate  is  somewhat  dryer  and  warmer  than  that  of  the  northern  coun- 
ties, and  all  the  conditions  of  range  are  favorable.  So  marked  is  the  su- 
periority of  the  Umpqua  Valley  wool  that  it  has  always  been  a favorite 
in  the  market,  and  brings  from  two  to  six  cents  per  pound  more  than  the 
ordinary  wools  of  the  country.  The  flocks  of  the  Umpqua  Valley  forma 
large  feature  of  its  wealth,  but  the  free  public  range  would  easily  sup- 
port ten  sheep  for  every  one  now  upon  it. 

Nearly  every  farmer  keeps  a flock,  principally  of  Merino  stock,  and  in 
the  lower  Umpqua  the  animals  are  held  only  for  their  wool,  and  not  used 
for  mutton.  In  1880,  Douglas  County  shipped  1,000,000  pounds  of  wool 
and  drove  55,000  sheep  into  Nevada. 

Fruits  of  all  the  temperate  kinds  grow  well  in  the  Umpqua  Valley,  as 
elsewhere  in  Western  Oregon.  There  are  some  fine  patches  of  timber 
in  all  parts  of  the  county,  and  along  the  coast  there  are  magnificent  for- 
ests of  fir  and  spruce. 


OREGON  AS  IT  IS. 


46 

The  chief  town  of  Douglas  County  is  Roseburg,  which  is  near  its  cen- 
ter and  on  the  line  of  the  O.  & C.  R.  R.  For  some  years  Roseburg  was 
the  southern  terminus  of  the  road,  but  it  was  extended  last  year  and 
with  its  terminal  character,  Roseburg  lost  much  of  its  Southern  Oregon 
trade.  A railroad  to  connect  Roseburg  with  the  coast  part  of  Coos  Bay, 
is  projected,  and  this  will  certainly  add  largely  to  its  importance.  The 
population  of  Roseburg  is  about  1300 ; Oakland,  Drain’s,  Empire  City, 
Scottsburg  and  Gardiner  are  thrifty  towns  in  this  county. 

southern 

Coos,  Curry,  Josephine,  Jackson  and  Lake  Counties  form  Southern 
Oregon.  There  are  three  distinct  sections  of  country  and  climate  in 
Southern  Oregon,  and  the  whole  is  distinct  in  a marked  degree  from  the 
other  natural  divisions  of  the  State.  The  climate  of  Southern  Oregon 
is  warmer  in  winter  and  cooler  in  summer  than  either  Western  or  East- 
ern Oregon,  and  is  especially  adapted  to  perfection  in  fruits  and  vegeta- 
bles. It  is  between  the  extreme  drouth  of  California  and  the  wet  season 
of  Western  Oregon.  Taken  as  a whole,  Southern  Oregon  is  one  of  the 
• healthiest  places  on  the  globe.  The  land  of  Southern  Oregon  lying  on 
the  coast  is  rough  and  mountainous,  and  for  the  most  part  heavily  tim- 
bered, and  has  the  moist  climate  of  coast  lines.  The  middle  section  is 
rich  valley  land,  and  the  climate  is  warmer  and  less  moist. 

JACKSON  COUNTY 

Is  one  of  the  largest  in  the  State,  and  can  hardly  be  excelled  for  fine 
scenery,  productions  of  soil,  wealth  and  good  climate.  The  county  is 
rich  in  minerals,  and  heretofore,  with  the  exception  of  wool,  the  products 
of  the  county  have  mainly  been  consumed  by  the  miners  and  local  popu- 
lation. Its  area  is  over  2000  square  miles,  but  the  greater  part  of  its  sur- 
face is  mountainous.  Its  principal  productive  section  is  the  Rogue  River 
Valley,  which  is  fifty  miles  long,  with  an  average  width  of  fifteen  miles. 
Agriculture  is  well  in  progress  in  this  valley  and  in  various  other  smaller 
valleys  in  the  county,  but  as  there  has  never  been  any  means  of  trans- 
portation, it  has  been  limited  to  supplying  the  local  demand.  But  this 
is  greater  than  in  any  other  part  of  the  country,  owing  to  the  extensive 
local  mining  operations.  Nearly  4000  men  are  now  employed  at  mining- 
in  this  county,  and  the  output  of  the  precious  metals  has  been  satisfac- 
tory and  comparatively  large.  The  output  has  aggregated  about  $180,- 
000  annually.  While  this  output  is  growing  larger  each  season,  other 
industries  are  reaching  to  the  fore,  and  mining  will  fall  several  ranks 
and  general  farming,  including  fruit  growing,  which,  as  stated  above,  is 
still  in  its  infancy,  are  now  more  important  interests  than  mining,  and 
stock  raising  will  soon  be  equal  to  either.  The  rough  foothill  land£  of 
Jackson  county  afford  fine  range,  and  the  stock  interest  is  constantly 


OREGON  AS  IT  IS. 


47 


growing.  With  commendable  enterprise,  the  people  have  imported  good 
blood  in  both  horses  and  cattle,  and  some  of  the  finest  stock  in  the  State 
is  to  be  found  here. 

Fruit  most  distinguishes  this  county.  Peaches,  grapes  and  the  whole 
list  of  general  and  small  fruits  yield  in  the  highest  excellence  of  size  and 
flavor.  Hitherto  little  attention  has  been  paid  to  fruit  production  be- 
cause there  has  been  no  way  of  getting  it  to  market,  but  the  Oregon  and 
California  Railroad,  which  has  just  reached  the  valley,  opens  up  the 
Portland  and,  in  fact,  the  Eastern  market,  and  now  business  will  be 
pursued  on  a large  scale. 

The  population  of  Jackson  County  is  not  .the  usual  population  of  a 
mining  country.  Mining  is  here  followed  as  a legitimate  business,  fairly 
certain  and  only  moderate  in  its  rewards.  There  is  no  “rich  to-day,  poor 
to-morrow’1  class,  and  nothing  of  the  reckless  spirit  so  common  in  min- 
ing countries.  The  people  are  a reliant  class,  accustomed  to  helping 
themselves,  and  they  are  well-to-do  almost  to  a man. 

Owing  to  the  situation  of  the  county,  as  well  as  to  the  sparse  popula- 
tion in  proportion  to  the  area  of  the  county,  lands  are  not  as  high  in 
proportion  in  Jackson  county  as  in  the  Willamette  Valley.  Good  im- 
proved farms  can  be  bought  at  from  $10  to  $20  per  acre,  the  last  n^rned 
figure  being  for  the  very  best  places,  specially  well  improved.  Jackson- 
ville, a prosperous  town  of  1200  inhabitants,  is  the  chief  business  point 
of  the  county.  Ashland,  with  1400  population,  is  not  far  behind,  the 
notable  features  of  the  latter  town  being  a collegiate  school  and  a woolen 
mill.  The  population  of  the  county  is  not  far  from  15,000. 

coos  COUNTY 

Is  not  so  great  in  extent  as  some  of  the  other  counties,  but  it  is  an  ex- 
ceedingly rich  one  in  the  matter  of  timber.  On  the  Coos  River  there  is 
good  agricultural  land,  and  the  area  might  be  indefinitely  enlarged  if 
the  tidal  marshes  were  diked.  The  coal  interest  is  quite  important. 
The  yield  is  large,  and  turns  in  a fine  revenue  to  the  county,  maintaining 
a line  of  steamers  between  Coos  Bay  and  San  Francisco. 

At  the  present  time  farming  in  the  county  is  in  its  infancy,  as  not 
many  who  engage  in  this  business  are  willing  to  clear  the  land  of  the 
heavy  timber,  and  to  reclaim  the  tide  lands  is  quite  expensive  ; still,  those 
who  have  made  farming  a business  for  several  years,  and  who  have  now 
pleasant  country  homes,  find  a ready  sale  for  the  products  which  are 
raised,  and  at  good  prices.  However,  the  time  is  not  far  distant  when 
all  the  lowlands  and  flats  will  become  one  vast  grain  field,  and  very  large 
crops  of  hay  and  grain  can  be  raised  when  properly  cultivated.  All 
about  the  Coquille  River  region  there  is  an  underlayer  of  coal.  Half  a 
dozen  mines  are-being  worked  at  this  time. 

Five  or  six  large  merchant  sawmills  produce  many  millions  of  feet  of 
lumber  each  year,  which,  too,  goes  chiefly  to  the  San  Francisco  market. 


48 


OREGON  AS  IT  IS. 


To  all  practical  purposes  Coos  Bay  is  part  of  California.  Its  business 
and  social  relations  are  wholly  with  San  Francisco,  and  worse  still,  its 
industries,  which  employ  several  millions  of  capital,  are  made  and  di- 
rected in  San  Francisco,  and  their  profits,  with  their  products,  go  out  of 
the  State. 

Besides  its  extensive  forests  of  fir  and  spruce,  Coos  county  has  a rare 
and  valuable  timber,  the  myrtle,  which  needs  only  to  become  known  to 
be  in  great  demand. 

It  is  a fact  well  known  that  Oregon  produces  a greater  variety  and 
much  finer  woods  than  California.  The  Port  Orford  cedar  is  of  the  same 
general  character,  but  in  every  practical  respect  a better  timber  than  the 
redwood.  Its  color  is  better  for  panel  and  other  fine  work,  and  its  grain 
is  more  distinct.  We  have  a dozen  or  a score  of  other  fine  woods,  but 
the  best  and  most  plentiful  of  all  is  the  myrtle,  which  grows  along  the 
streams  of  the  southern  coast.  The  beauty  of  this  wood  is  beyond  com- 
parison. It  is  nearly  as  dark  as  black  walnut,  mottled  with  mahogany- 
colored  streaks,  is  hard  and  susceptible  of  a perfect  polish,  and  retains 
its  toughness  when  sawed  into  the  thinnest  veneering. 

Coos  Bay  has  already  established  a reputation  as  the  principal  ship- 
yard in  Oregon  ; in  fact,  it  may  be  said  to  be  the  only  point  in  the  State 
at  which  the  construction  of  vessels  has  assumed  the  form  of  a regular 
business.  Over  fifty  vessels,  of  all  classes,  have  been  constructed  here. 
The  fact  is  so  apparent  that  it  is  now  generally  admitted  that  the  timber 
in  this  region,  for  ship-building  purposes,  combines,  in  a greater  degree, 
the  qualities,  strength,  durability  and  buoyancy  than  the  timber  of  any 
other  locality  known. 

JOSEPHINE  COUNTY 

Was  cut  out]  of  Jackson  County  during  the  mining  excitement  some 
years  ago.  Mining  is  the  chief  business  of  the  county,  though  there  is 
some  fine  farming  land  in  the  small  valleys.  The  lumber  interest  bids 
fair  to  be  the  chief  one  in  a few  years.  In  Josephine  fruits  and  vegeta- 
bles, and  especially  melons,  attain  a wonderful  degree  of  perfection.  The 
county  is  settling  up  very  rapidly  just  now. 

CUBBY  COUNTY 

Is  in  the  southwest  corner  of  the  State,  and  more  isolated  than  any 
other  portion  of  the  State.  It  has  a population  of  about  2300,  most  of 
the  people  being  engaged  in  stock  raising.  Its  area  is  mainly  mountain- 
ous and  very  little  of  it  has  been  surveyed.  The  people  support  them- 
selves by  sheep-raising,  dairying,  lumbering,  fishing  and  placer  mining. 
The  arable  land  under  cultivation  produces  sufficiently  for  home  con- 
sumption. Ellensburg,  a thrifty  town,  is  the  chief  business  center  of 
the  county. 


OREGON  AS  IT  tS. 


49 


LAKE  COUNTY, 

As  its  name  implies,  is  a region  of  lakes,  many  of  them  considerable  in 
size.  The  soil  is  generally  light,  composed  of  volcanic  ashes.  The 
county  is  about  150  miles  square,  and  is  sparsely  populated.  Its  chief 
and,  indeed,  about  its  only  interest,  is  stock,  raising.  Its  ranges  are 
wide  and  fertile,  and  its  isolation  makes  the  land  useless  for  puposes  of 
agriculture.  So  little  attention  is  giving  to  farming  that  a great  share 
of  the  Hour  consumed  in  Lake  is  imported  from  the  adjoining  county  of 
Jackson.  Although  a high  and  frosty  county,  it  has  many  fine  valleys 
and  excellent  land.  Lakeview,  on  Goose  Lake,  the  county  seat,  is  a 
thriving  town,  with  two  newspapers.  Sprague  River  Yalley,  quite  pic- 
turesquely situated,  contains  20,000  acres  of  excellent  land,  the  soil  being 
a sandy  loam.  Linkville,  on  Klamath  Lake,  is  a good  trading  center. 
Stock  raising  is  the  most  prominent  business  of  the  county.  Only  within 
a recent  period  have  the  buncli-grass  and  sage-brush  lands,  which  here 
abound,  been  cultivated,  but  the  result  of  what  was  simply  an  experi- 
ment was  so  encouraging  that  a broad  acreage  of  cereals  will  soon  be 
produced. 


EASTERN  OREGON. 

This  comprises  at  least  two-thirds  of  the  State,  and  embraces  the 
counties  of  Wasco,  Crook,  Umatilla,  Grant,  Union,  Baker,  Morrow  and 
Gilliam.  Here  we  have  a change  of  climate  and  soil  from  that  of  either 
Southern  or  Western  Oregon.  As  we  have  said,  the  thermometer 
rises  higher  in  Summer,  and  goes  lower  in  Winter  than  in  Western 
Oregon.  The  rainfall  is  less  by  one-half.  There  is  scarcely  any  rain 
between  June  and  September,  and  the  harvest  times  are  perfect.  The 
heat  in  Summer,  though  greater  than  in  Western  or  Southern  Oregon, 
is  nevef  oppressive,  and  the  Winters  are  short,  snow  seldom  falling 
before  Christmas,  and  does  not  lie  in  the  valley  more  than  a week  or 
so  ; in  the  hills  from  four  to  six  weeks.  Spring  begins  in  February  and 
lasts  till  May.  This  is  the  rainy  season.  Eastern  Oregon  is  famous  for 
its  wheat  crops  and  stock  raising.  This  region  is  now  reached  from  the 
East  direct  by  the  Union  Pacific  and  Oregon  Short  Line,  the  Northern 
Pacific,  and  connections  with  the  Oregon  Railway  and  Navigation  Com- 
pany. The  latter  company  make  daily  connections  with  Portland. 

Eastern  Oregon  and  Washington  consist  of  high  table  lands  and  roll- 
ing prairies,  with  a number  of  valleys  along  its  water  courses,  of  consid- 
erable extent.  Taken  as  a whole,  it  is  especially  adapted  to  grazing 
purposes,  although  its  valleys  contain  farming  lands  equal  in  productive- 
ness to  those  of  any  country  ; and  in  many  places  the  high  prairies  have 
produced  excellent  crops  of  grain.  What  is  known  as  the  Great  Plain 
of  the  Columbia,  the  soil  of  the  highlands  is  a sandy  loam,  producing, 


50 


OREGON  AS  IT  IS. 


in  its  natural  state,  a heavy  growth  of  wild  bunch-grass  of  the  most  nu- 
tritious quality.  With  the  exception  of  some  barren  spots,  the  growth 
of  bunch-grass  is  general. 

The  valleys  of  Eastern  Oregon  and  Washington  have  a rich  soil  of 
black  loam,  producing  wheat,  oats,  barley,  corn,  vegetables  and  fruits. 
Wheat  succeeds  equally  as  well  as  in  Western  Oregon,  while  barley  does 
much  better,  often  yielding  as  high  as  sixty  to  eighty  bushels  per  acre. 
Corn  makes  a good  crop  in  many  of  the  valleys,  the  warm,  dry  Summer 
weather  of  this  reginn  being  adapted  to  its  growth  and  maturity. 

It  has  been  generally  supposed,  heretofore,  that  corn  would  not  ripen 
in  our  State.  It  has  always  been  grown  in  small  patches  for  table  use, 
but  during  the  last  season  the  experiment  was  tried  on  a large  scale  at 
Blalock  Farm,  situated  near  the  northeastern  corner  of  Wasco  county. 
The  land  selected  has  every  appearance  of  a sandy  desert,  but  whenever 
and  wherever  water  is  obtainable  its  fertility  is  great.  Two  pieces  of 
ground  were  planted,  being  in  all  1800  acres.  The  season  was  unusually 
dry,  and  on  800  acres  of  land  the  corn  did  not  germinate.  On  the  other 
1000  acres  the  corn  sprouted,  and  was  worked  with  the  harrow  alone. 
It  attained  a height  of  about  five  feet,  with  four  to  seven  stalks  in  a hill. 
The  yield  was  very  heavy.  The  ears  are  long  and  well  filled  with  good, 
sound  corn.  This  same  land  will  be  replanted  with  corn  during  the 
coming  season,  and  it  is  expected  that  with  rain  much  better  results  will 
be  obtained.  The  crop  above  referred  to  was  nourished  by  the  moisture 
contained  in  the  soil  alone,  not  a drop  of  rain  having  fallen  upon  it  from 
the  time  it  was  planted  until  it  was  gathered. 

Some  of  the  tender  fruits  and  vegetables,  as  peaches,  grapes,  melons, 
tomatoes  and  sweet  potatoes,  are  being  cultivated  with  good  success. 
Tobacco  has  succeeded  well  in  several  instances.  In  a general  sense, 
the  range  of  farm  products  varies  very  little  from  that  of  Western  Ore- 
gon, making  due  allowance  for  the  adaptabilities  of  a dry  climate.  Irri- 
gation is  resorted  to  occasionally,  for  the  better  production  of  garden 
vegetables  and  fruits;  but  thus  far  it  has  not  been  found  necessary  in 
the  cultivation  of  any  kind  of  grain  crops.  The  absence  of  timber  in 
the  valleys  is  considered  a disadvantage  by  some ; this,  however,  is  more 
apparent  than  otherwise,  from  the  fact  that  the  neighboring  mountains 
afford  an  inexhaustible  supply.  Water  of  good  quality  is  plentiful  in 
all  the  valleys,  but  the  number  of  springs  and  running  brooks  is  much 
less  than  in  the  western  division. 

BAKER  COUNTY 

Is  about  200  miles  long  and  100  miles  wide.  It  has  a population  of  8000 
people.  There  are  more  than  11,000,000  acres  of  land  in  this  county. 
About  one-third  of  it  has  been  surveyed.  The  climate,  except  in  the 
southern  portion,  is  cold  in  winter  and  warm  in  summer.  Since  the 
land  has  been  broken  and  cultivated  summer  showers  are  getting  more 


51 


OREGON  AS  IT*  IS. 

frequent,  thus  insuring  a good  crop  without  irrigation.  The  cereals 
grow  to  perfection  in  Powder  River  Valley,  also  all  kinds  of  vegetables 
in  abundance.  There  is,  perhaps,  no  county  in  Oregon  in  which  pota- 
toes, onions,  cabbage,  parsnips,  turnips,  carrots,  beets,  strawberries, 
gooseberries  and  currants  grow  in  such  profusion,  or  of  better  quality, 
than  in  any  portion  of  this  county.  In  the  Snake  and  Burnt  River  Val- 
leys all  kinds  of  fruit  and  corn  grow  to  perfection.  Powder  River  Valley 
is  twenty-six  miles  long  by  an  average  of  sixteen  miles  wide.  As  yet 
but  a small  portion  is  settled  or  in  cultivation.  The  sage-brush  land 
when  cleared  is  the  best  soil. 

In  addition  are  immense  buncli-grass  and  sage-brush  tracts,  which  will 
eventually  be  brought  under  the  plow,  only  requiring  irrigation  in  many 
places  to  make  them  productive.  At  present  the  unoccupied  lands  are 
used  as  grazing  grounds.  There  are  about  80,000  head  of  cattle  herded  in 
the  county.  Much  attention  is  paid  to  horse-breeding,  and  the  animals 
bred  here  are  among  the  best  produced  in  the  State.  The  value  of  live 
stock  is  estimated  at  $1,500,000,  and  the  farm  productions  last  year 
amounted  to  $280,000.  Among  the  products  are  butter,  cheese,  wool, 
barley,  corn,  oats,  rye,  wheat,  potatoes,  apples  and  peaches.  The  mines, 
instead  of  being  worked  out,  seem  to  be  only  partially  developed.  Quartz 
ledges  that  have  lain  idle  and  scarcely  represented  are  now  being  worked 
with  success.  The  great  drawback  heretofore  in  the  development  of  the 
mineral  resources  of  the  county  has  been  the  want  of  capital  and  the 
immense  cost  of  mining  machinery,  but  that  obstacle  has  been  removed 
by  the  completion  of  the  railroad  and  the  millions  of  dollars  in  the  rocks 
will  now  be  taken  out  and  large  profit  will  be  had  to  the  operator. 

During  the  past  year  the  population  of  the  county  has  increased  at 
least  forty  per  cent,  and  the  influence  of  this  increase  is  manifest  in  the 
rapid  and  substantial  growth  of  the  center  of  supplies  Baker  City. 
Carpenters,  brick  and  stone  masons,  and,  in  fact,  mechanics  of  all  kinds, 
have  been  kept  busy,  while  real  estate  has  advanced  more  than  100  per 
cent.  Several  large  brick  buildings  have  been  erected  during  the  sum- 
mer just  past,  and  quite  a number  are  under  contract  for  next  season. 

There  is  no  county  in  Oregon  where  an  industrious  man,  with  a small 
capital,  can  do  better  than  in  Baker  County.  There  is  a great  deal  of 
vacant  land  to  be  had,  and  unimproved  agricultural  land  can  be  had  for 
from  $6  to  $10  an  acre. 

Baker  City,  a thriving  town  of  1800  inhabitants,  is  the  county  seat. 
Heretofore  everything  brought  into  or  taken  out  of  the  county  was 
freighted  in  “prairie  schooners,”  but  the  railroad  is  now  completed  to 
the  city  and  beyond  via  the  Oregon  Short  Line. 

GRANT  COUNTY. 

This  is  state-like  in  dimensions.  Grant  is  a mining  and  stock  raising 
county,  and  its  population  of  6000  is  mostly  engaged  in  these  industries. 


52 


OREGON  AS  IT  IS. 


Some  farming  is  done  in  the  valleys,  where  the  soil  is  exceedingly  rich. 
It  is  capable  of  producing  good  wheat,  vegetables,  and  in  fact  anything 
that  any  other  section  in  Eastern  Oregon  can  produce,  but,  like  Baker 
County,  it  is  too  far  from  market  to  raise  wheat  for  exporting.  There 
are  some  very  wealthy  cattle  dealers  in  this  county,  and  miners  are  doing 
well  when  they  have  a favorable  season. 

The  valleys  of  the  John  Day  river,  although  generally  narrow,  are  fer- 
tile, and  in  a good  state  of  cultivation,  and  produce  large  crops  of  the 
cereals,  vegetables  and  fruits  common  to  the  latitude.  Corn,  however, 
does  not  thrive,  owing  to  the  cool  nights.  Improved  farms  are  generally 
held  at  $20  per  acre.  There  are  thousands  of  acres  or  government  land 
in  the  county,  subject  to  pre-emption  and  homestead  entry.  There  is 
not,  however,  with  the  exception  of  Harney  valley,  any  large  area  of 
level  land  ; but  there  are  hundreds  of  small  valleys  where  the  indus- 
trious settler  may  raise  the  produce  needed  by  his  family,  as  well  as 
hay,  to  carry  his  stock  through  an  occasional  hard  Winter.  Grant 
county  is  not  a farming  county,  but  it  is  a stock  county,  and  one  of  the 
best  now  to  be  found  within  the  limits  of  the  United  States.  With  the 
stock  divided  among  many  small  holders,  instead  of  being  concentrated 
within  a few  hands,  as  is  too  often  the  case,  the  county  will  support  a 
large  population.  People  familiar  only  with  the  prairies  of  Illinois  or 
Iowa  are  not  usually  impressed  with  the  appearance  of  this  county  ; but 
those  acquainted  with  bunch-grass  and  its  possibilities  are  loud  in  its 
praise.  The  climate  of  the  county  is  not  easy  to  describe  in  a few  words. 
The  Summer  days  are  usually  quite  warm,  but  the  nights  are  always 
cool.  But  little  rain  falls  during  the  Summer  months,  and  crops  ate 
usually  irrigated.  The  Winters  are  greatly  modified  by  warm  southwest 
winds  from  the  Pacific,  called  “ Chinooks.”  ***** 

The  county  is  well  watered  by  mountain  streams  ; while  many  springs 
of  mineral  water  are  famous  for  their  medicinal  qualities.  There  are 
also  most  excellent  facilities  for  manufacturing,  but  little  utilized  at 
present.  Viewed  from  the  sportsman’s  standpoint,  the  country  is  simply 
a paradise.  The  growth  of  the  trees  is  such  as  to  give  the  appearance  of 
a vast  park,  and  there  is  but  little  underbrush.  Deer  in  great  numbers 
roam  the  woods  ; antelope  bound  over  the  plains  of  the  Harney  basin  ; 
elk  range  the  higher  mountains,  while  the  sheep  leap  from  rock  to  rock 
on  the  highest  peaks.  Bears,  panthers,  wildcats,  etc.,  are  occasionally 
encountered.  The  streams  are  well  stocked  with  mountain  trout  of 
delicious  flavor.  The  chief  towns  of  this  couuty  are  Canyon  City,  the 
county  seat,  Prairie  City  and  John  Day,  all  situated  in  the  John  Day 
valley.  All  are  prosperous  towns.  Schools  equal  to  any  found  in  a new 
and  sparsely  settled  county  are  maintained  and  well  attended. 


OREGON  AS  IT  IS. 


53 


UMATILLA  COUNTY. 

In  Umatilla  county  we  enter  upon  the  greatest  agricultural  region  of 
Eastern  Oregon,  a region  made  famous  for  its  magnificent  wheat  and 
grain  crops.  Population  about  14,000;  area,  4,170,040  acres;  surveyed, 
2,000,000;  settled,  1,656,200  acres.  Wheat  and  barley  are  the  principal 
grain  crops,  although  oats,  corn,  buckwheat,  flax,  etc.,  do  well.  Average 
yield  per  acre,  20  to  40  bushels,  according  to  the  amount  of  rainfall. 
Water  soft.  No  need  of  irrigation.  The  climate  is  much  milder  than 
that  of  the  same  latitude  east  of  the  Rocky  Mountains.  Snow  very 
rarely  lays  on  the  ground  outside  of  the  mountains,  over  four  days.  The 
soil  is  exceedingly  fertile  and  easy  to  cultivate.  All  kinds  of  fruit  not 
strictly  tropical  grow  plentifully.  Garden  vegetables  unsurpassed. 
Health  remarkably  good.  The  Blue  Mountains  afford  plenty  of  pine,  fir 
and  tamarack  timber.  Wages  are  from  SI  to  SB  per  day.  On  grain  and 
stock  farms  hands  receive  from  S25  to  S50  per  month.  Business  oppor- 
tunities good  for  all  branches  of  trade.  Professional  opportunities  are 
rather  scarce.  There  is  some  good  government  land  still  open  to  settle- 
ment. Muscle  and  capital  are  needed  to  make  developments.  Of 
minerals  there  are  gold,  silver  and  coal  in  the  county.  Game  is  abund- 
ant— such  as  elk,  deer,  antelope,  ibe,  bear,  cougar,  panther,  wolves, 
geese,  ducks,  etc.  Fish  are  principally  salmon  and  mountain  trout.  The 
people  are  hospitable,  and  are  mostly  from  the  Eastern  States.  A great 
many  ambitious  young  men  are  doing  well  here.  They  -came  and  settled 
here  without  money  or  friends  a few  years  ago,  and  now  they  have  both. 
The  principal  product,  wheat,  is  worth  this  year  70  cents  a bushel.  All 
along  the  foot  of  the  Blue  Mountains  is  a stretch  of  fine  arable  country, 
from  25  to  30  miles  in  width.  The  county  is  well  watered,  and  there  are 
enormous  tracts  of  sage-brush  lands,  hitherto  used  as  stock  ranges, 
which  must  soon  be  settled  and  turned  into  grain  fields  and  orchards. 
Among  these  may  be  mentioned  the  Gold  Spring  country,  extending 
along  the  Columbia  river  a considerable  distance,  and  iu  width  about 
fifteen  miles.  This  section  is  attracting  considerable  attention  in  view 
of  its  deep,  rich  soil  and  mild  climate,  which  admits  of  the  cultivation 
of  tobacco,  sorghum,  corn,  tomatoes  and  the  finer  fruits,  with  little  fear 
of  frost.  Among  the  principal  places  in  the  county  are  Pendleton,  the 
county  seat,  Pilot  Rock,  Umatilla,  Milton,  Heppner  and  Centerville. 
Timber  for  building  and  fencing  is  supplied  by  the  Blue  Mountains, 
and  at  Milton  it  is  cheaply  brought  by  a flume  a distance  of  many  miles. 

Pendleton  is  situated  forty -four  miles  from  the  Columbia  River,  on  the 
Umatilla,  a rapid  mountain  stream.  On  the  north  and  east  it  is  bounded 
by  the  Umatilla  Reservation,  the  finest  body  of  land  in  the  State,  which 
will  soon  be  open  to  settlement  under  act  of  Congress.  The  tract  of 
land  contains  800,000  acres.  On  the  south  and  west  lies  the  great  wheat 
and  stock  raising  country  of  Umatilla  County.  Pendleton  has  a flatter- 


54 


OREGON  AS  IT  IS. 


mg  future.  Its  progress  is  second  to  no  town  in  Oregon,  having  in- 
creased from  700  population  in  1880  to  2500  in  1884.  Its  business  has 
increased  in  proportion. 

WASCO  COUNTY 

Contains  about  one  hundred  townships,  or  2,304,000  acres.  Of  this  land, 
it  is  considered  by  our  best  judges  that  there  is  something  more  than 
half  of  it  which  has  a soil  suited  to  mixed  farming,  most  of  it  without 
irrigation.  It  is  also  estimated  that  there  are  not  over  ten  townships, 
all  told,  that  are  not  of  great  value  a portion  of  the  year  for  pasturage. 
This,  with  immense  timber  resources  on  the  Cascade  range  of  mount- 
ains, extending  across  the  western  boundary  of  the  county,  from  the 
Columbia  southward,  and  the  timber  border  upon  the  Blue  Mountain 
range,  on  its  southeastern  boundary,  makes  it  one  of  the  most  desirable 
bodies  of  land  in  the  Northwest,  especially  as  the  Columbia  River  runs 
entirely  across  the  northern  boundary. 

The  everlasting  snows  of  Mt.  Hood  furnish  a constant,  never-failing 
volume  of  water  in  DesChutes  and  its  tributaries,  which  runs  northerly 
across  the  entire  westerly  portion  of  the  county,  and^,  pour  their  clear, 
cool  waters  into  the  Columbia  at  Fultonville,  fifteen  miles  easterly  from 
The  Dalles.  The  westerly  and  northwesterly  watershed  of  the  Blue 
Mountain  range  sends  its  surplus  waters  through  the  John  Day  River 
and  its  many  branches  into  the  Columbia,  twenty  miles  above  the  mouth 
of  the  DesChutes.  Thus  the  territory  of  the  county,  which  is  about 
sixty  miles  square,  has  the  Columbia  waters  on  the  north,  and  is  divided 
into  three  parts  by  the  DesChutes  and  John  Day  waters  from  the  south. 
Ihe  soil  between  these  rivers  and  along  the  whole  length  of  their  sides 
up  to  the  timber  on  the  mountain  slopes,  is  of  unsurpassed  richness,  and 
suitable  for  vegetable  growth  and  the  production  of  grain,  requiring 
only  man’s  instrumentality  in  working  and  exposing  its  top  by  the  plow 
and  letting  in  the  sun  and  air  to  prepare  it  for  his  uses. 

From  the  earliest  settlement  of  the  country  until  recently  that  region 
has  been  devoted  almost  exclusively  to  stock  raising.  As  the  population 
increased  the  ranges  were  occupied  and  it  became  necessary  to  sell  off 
the  cattle.  Very  naturally  the  attention  of  the  people  was  directed  to 
agriculture,  which  formerly  had  been  carried  on  only  to  the  extent  of 
supplying  local  consumptive  demands.  There  was  serious  question  as 
to  the  capacity  of  the  country  for  general  farming — not  with  reference 
to  the  richness  of  the  soil,  for  that  was  unquestioned,  but  it  was  feared 
that  the  long  seasons  of  dry  weather  would  be  fatal  to  general  crops. 
The  experiment,  however,  has  been  tried,  and  the  result  is  highly  satis- 
factory. Crops  last  year  were  fair,  and  this  year  more  than  fair.  Wheat, 
which  was  quite  generally  grown,  is  a splendid  crop.  The  yield  is  re- 
ported to  average  from  22  to  26  bushels  to  the  acre.  Many  fields,  partic- 
ularly well  cultivated,  yielded  30  bushels  or  more  to  the  acre,  and  others, 


OREGON  AS  IT  IS. 


where  farming  methods  were  poor,  did  not  produce  more  than  15  bush- 
els, but  the  average  was  fully  up  to  expectations.  It  is  demonstrated 
beyond  question  that  the  country  will  raise  grain,  and  that  it  will  raise 
other  farm  products  goes  with  this  without  saying. 

The  spring  season  of  northern  Wasco  County  is  a month  earlier  than  that 
of  the  Willamette  Valley,  and  its  “truck”  products  could  always  have 
the  first  and  highest  sales  in  the  market  of  Portland.  The  country  is 
splendidly  adapted  for  this  kind  of  farming,  and  witli  it  the  drouths 
which  must  be  expected  occasionally  will  interfere  less  than  with  wheat 
as  an  exclusive  crop.  Besides,  vegetable  and  fruit  crops  do  not  drain 
and  impoverish  the  soil  as  does  grain  growing.  Northern  Wasco  is  the 
most  favored  region  of  this  much-favored  State  for  fruit  production.  It 
lacks  some  of  the  minor  advantages  of  Southern  Oregon,  but  this  is 
more  than  compensated  by  its  situation  next  door  to  the  Portland  mar- 
ket. Apples,  cherries,  pears,  peaohes  and  small  fruits  mature  very  early 
there,  and  their  form  and  flavor  is  unsurpassed. 

UNION  COUNTY. 

This  is  situated  in  the  extreme  northeastern  part  of  the  State,  and  is 
about  100  miles  square.  The  surface  of  the  country,  embraced  within 
the  county  limits,  is  mountainous  and  generally  quite  elevated.  Grande 
Ronde  Valley  being  about  2,700  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea.  The 
mountains  are  much  higher.  In  places  they  are  five,  six,  and  in  some  in- 
stances, perhaps  seven  thousand  feet  above  the  sea. 

The  climate  is  generally  dry,  though  fairly  seasonable  as  to  .rainfall. 
The  fall  rains  begin  usually  in  September,  but  are  not  generally  copious 
until  the  latter  part  of  October  or  the  first  of  November.  From  about 
the  middle  of  November  to  the  first  or  middle  of  March,  there  is  usually 
more  or  less  snow,  which  in  the  more  elevated  sections  accumulates  to 
considerable  depth,  and  in  the  higher  mountains  remains  until  late  in 
the  spring,  not  entirely  disappearing  in  the  highest  ranges  until  in  July. 
The  latter  part  of  March,  all  of  April,  and  the  early  part  of  May  is  usu- 
ally more  or  less  interspersed  with  showers,  and  generally  there  are  sea- 
sonable showers  in  June  and  July. 

There  are  not  less  than  400,000  acres  of  the  best  quality  of  agricultural 
lands  and  twice  as  much  grazing  land  in  the  county,  the  residue  of  the 
county  is  covered  with  an  almost  inexhaustible  supply  of  timber  of  a 
very  superior  quality,  embracing  pine,  spruce,  tamarack  and  fir.  Union 
is  a splendid  stock  and  butter  county,  and  is  finely  adapted  to  fruit 
growing.  Horse  breeding  is  a great  industry  in  this  section,  and  valua- 
ble importations  of  thoroughbred  stock  from  California  and  Kentucky 
have  been  made.  The  bare  and  timberless  hills  are  covered  with  succu- 
lent bunch-grass,  while  the  pasturage  in  the  pine  forests,  though  less  nu- 


56 


OREGON  AS  IT  IS. 


tritious  in  its  nature,  is  so  well  sheltered  that  cattle  keep  fat  and  strong 
during  the  severest  winters.  There  are  two  considerable  towns  in  the 
county,  Union  and  LaGrande. 

CROOK  COUNTY. 

Was  cut  away  from  Wasco,  and  forms  its  southern  boundary.  It  has  a 
population  of  about  8,000.  Most  of  the  inhabitants  of  this  county  are 
engaged  in  stock-raising,  though  there  are  large  tracts  of  good  soil  for 
general  farming,  in  the  county.  These  wide  areas  will  become  very  valu- 
able in  time,  and  the  immigrant  who  settles  there  now  will  reap  a rich 
reward  as  the  county  settles  up. 

MORROW  AND  GILLIAM 

Are  two  new  counties  created  by  the  Legislative  Assembly  of  1885.  Mor- 
row County  was  almost  entirely  taken  from  Umatilla  ; a small  portion 
from  Grant  and  Wasco.  The  county  seat  was  fixed  at  Heppner,  and  the 
general  description  of  Umatilla  will  answer  for  it. 

Gilliam  County  was  wholly  taken  from  Wasco.  The  county  seat  is  at 
Alkali,  a nourishing  town  on  the  Oregon  Railway  and  Navigation  Com- 
pany’s railroad,  138  miles  from  Portland. 


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